The Hunted Assassin
by KenjiMania
Summary: A story starring Christie, as she tries to stay one step ahead of another assassin trying to kill her and exposing some very damaging information. While also avoiding Ryu Hayabusa and Sonia who are also hunting her down. Will have a 'summer movie' feel to it in terms of plot and action scenes. M-Rated for brutal violence, strong language, gratuitous nudity and sexual themes.
1. Prologue: Interrupted Enjoyment

**Dead Or Alive: The Hunted Assassin**

**Prologue: Interrupted Enjoyment**

**Introduction:** Welcome! My second Dead or Alive story, starring my all-time favorite character from the games: Christie. This is going to hopefully be an enjoyable story and I hope it is exciting. There will be action, suspense and gratuitous nudity, hence the M-Rating. No smut with Christie.

As always, review if you like. Also, this story is being republished because I have the time to work on this with regularity.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Somewhere in the Whitsunday Islands**

**Queensland, Australia**

**12:57PM**

The sun shined brightly on the many islands in Queensland. To many, it was thought to be one the most beautiful places in the world, especially the Whitsunday Islands. This large coastal area featured 74 different islands, only eight of which were inhabited. The weather was absolutely perfect and the sun provided warmth to the sand on the many beaches.

On one of these uninhabited islands, one beach had a black and white jet ski parked at the shore, a large red and white towel was draped over the handles. About twenty-five feet away rested a large light blue beach blanket, a large blue and white cooler, a small black duffel bag that was unzipped were to the right. And resting on top of the unopened cooler was a black thong bikini, all of the items were covered by a large red parasol.

In the water was the naked white-haired British assassin, Christie; she swam out as far from the beach as possible. She felt the cool water against her bare skin as she did the breaststroke. Her hair was wet and her she felt the warm sunlight against her head, shoulders, and the top of her breasts, she felt her nipples harden like diamonds. She could see below the top of the water and saw the ocean floor.

Christie sighed at the feeling of the cool seawater against her bare skin and how wonderful it felt for her. Smiling she took a deep breath and whispered to herself. "A beautiful day for a swim."

Diving down she began to swim through the water, swimming through many coral reefs and watching schools of fish swim by her. She spun around a few times as she swam through the ocean. Christie spent the next several minutes swimming and indulging herself in the gifts that nature provided.

A half hour later, Christie jumped out of the water, tilting her head back and letting her short hair splash water behind her and arching her back and letting her massive, firm and supple breasts move outward. After letting out a loud moan and getting air, she fell back into the water and leisurely swam her way to shore.

Walking out of the water in all her glory, she felt the heat of the sun envelop her naked body and warm her up. The sand underneath her feet was nice, soft and hot and just how she liked it. Droplets of water dripped down her collarbone and onto her breasts, several small drops slide down her breasts, with some going around her hard nipples and down her flat, toned stomach or dripping off the brown tips and onto the sand.

She licked her lips as she headed towards her jet ski and grabbed her towel. Drying off, she headed towards her little set-up for her sunbathing and dropped her towel at the top left corner of her blanket. Bending down she opened her duffel bag and picked her iPhone up, she turned it on for messages and found none, noting the time was 1:28, she knew she had another five hours before she had to return her jet ski.

Sitting on her knees, she placed her bikini in her duffel alongside her black tank top, red workout shorts and her wallet and laptop. Crawling over so she could sit on the blanket, she opened the cooler and pulled out a large bottle of water, she checked inside and did an inventory of her two slices of cheesecake, four large tomatoes, and another bottle of water.

Taking a few gulps of water, she sighed with content at the cold fluid going down her throat. Placing the bottle on the blanket, she stretched her arms over her head and did a few neck exercises. She lifted her hand and hit a button on her parasol, she looked up and watched as the umbrella portion closed with ease and she felt the sun shine on her again.

Lying down, she stretched luxuriously on the blanket. "Time to sunbathe." Christie said quietly.

She spread her legs out and felt the sea breeze and warm sunlight against her pussy, she bent her left knee slightly as she straightened her leg and bent her other into a right angle. Resting her right hand on her stomach and resting her left arm over her head, she sighed again and closed her eyes.

_I can finally relax…._ She thought. She smiled at the feeling of her bare skin bathed in sunlight after her swim.

She had been through quite a bit recently, but none of it mattered right now. She finally decided to get some much needed time to herself. Helena didn't matter right now, nor did the so-called 'super ninja' Ryu Hayabusa or his CIA agent friend Irene Lew, or 'Sonia' as she called herself. Even her problems with Bayman were nothing to her right now. With Donovan in hiding after the destruction of DOATEC, she had nothing to concern herself with at the moment.

Christie exhaled loudly and just tried to enjoy herself for once. No fighting, no death, no money involved, just her in her own little world.

After a few minutes, Christie slowly moved her left hand over her breasts and slowly and gently ran her hands over the firm mounds. She felt her hardened nipples and pebbled areola and she felt a tingle of pleasure at the sensation. She then moved her right hand and cupped her tits, squeezing them together and arched her back.

"Hmmm, feels so good…." Christie said after moaning.

She then guided her right hand down her body and felt her toned and flat stomach and firm muscles underneath, gently circling her naval before slipping her hand past her slim waist and rubbing her slit and soft clit.

Christie licked her red lips and gently bit the bottom portion softly. Taking her right fore and middle fingers into her mouth, she licked and sucked before moving her fingers down and slowly and gently rubbed her pussy lips. As she did so, she felt a small wave of pleasure throughout her body. She moved her left hand over her breasts and fondled herself.

"Oooohhhhhh….." Christie moaned loudly. She arched her back slightly. _I think I'll indulge myself a little more…._

Slowly burying her wet fingers into her opening, she started to breathe rapidly and started picking her nipples. She was about to go all the way when….

Her iPhone rang out.

Christie opened her eyes and gasped. She gritted her teeth and growled.

_Damn._ She balled her left hand into a fist and slammed it down on the blanket. She felt and heard the hard sand spread out underneath. Sitting up, she pressed the button on the parasol and the umbrella went open again.

She plucked her phone out of the duffel and looked at the screen. _Who the bloody hell would call me? _It had the one name she least wanted to see.

Bayman.

She did not want to talk to him. She already had enough problems with the cold-blooded bastard as it was. They didn't like, nor did they trust one another. The Sambo fighter had always thought that she was Donovan's lapdog, and she did betray Donovan and side with Helena during DOATEC's downfall.

The phone kept ringing. She hit the button for the speaker and answered the call with great reluctance.

"Hello, Bayman." Her voice was just barely above icy.

"Christie." Came the thick Russian accent of her fellow assassin. He sounded very stoic in saying her name.

"What do you want?" She was amazed that her question didn't come out anymore aggressive.

"I've heard about you through the wire recently." He told her. She couldn't quite tell if his tone was meant to be sarcastic, condescending or a mixture of both.

"You have now?" Christie responded with a question of her own; the master of the She Quan style reached into her cooler and popped open the plastic bag with the tomatoes and pulled one out. The Russian must have heard from other assassins.

"Yes." Bayman told her. "You seemed to have run into quite a bit of trouble recently."

She rolled her steely grayed eyes at his response. Taking a big bite out of her tomato she loved how it tasted and as she swallowed it down, she felt herself calm slightly.

Just slightly.

"It was rather easy." She replied, adjusting herself to move her head closer to the phone and rested on her hip and right elbow, holding her tomato in her left hand, her legs bent at the knees in front of her. "I have had much worse to deal with."

She heard him huff over the line, before he continued. "Judging from the chaos you left down in San Diego as well as in Sydney. I'd say you had difficult time."

Christie let out a low growl, she definitely heard some sarcasm in his voice. _How I would love to rip this man's heart out and show it to him as he died._ She thought.

"Cut the shit, Bayman." Christie angrily let out. Her relaxation time and her desire to masturbate was ruined because of his call; now she was trying to find a way to end this conversation so she could salvage whatever was left. It didn't help that she stupidly left her phone on after checking it. "Tell me what it is your calling about or I'm hanging up."

Bayman laughed loudly over the other end. She scowled at her phone, hoping that someone would burst into whatever place he was calling from and kill him.

"Am I bothering you that much?" Bayman said still laughing. "It's not my fault you picked a fight with Ryu Hayabusa by kidnapping his lady friend."

Christie swore under her breath at the reminder. She knew that the Dragon Ninja was watching out for her and quite possibly using Sonia to track her down. Even after DOATEC fell many months ago, she had heard from sources that she trusted that he was looking her. She often spent many nights with her SIG 226 or PC356 handguns under her pillow ready for his arrival, something she rarely did until recently; she didn't care that she was a naked sleeper, she could fight with or without clothes.

"Do not remind me." She spoke dryly. Sighing, she tried to calm herself by taking a bite into her tomato again. For some reason her breasts felt heavier under the stress she was currently under.

Cutting to the chase, she asked him coldly, "What is it that you called me for?"

He coughed over the line before speaking again. "I was curious as to what happened. That's all."

Christie raised an eyebrow at that statement. She let a bemused expression develop on her face. That's why he called? Why did he suddenly care about her problems? He did try to eliminate her after being hired by Helena afterall. And they both wanted to kill the other, despite having the same profession. She let these questions linger for a moment before determining that he called to know about how she survived.

She then deduced that he was probably making sure he knew what he was dealing with if they ever went against one another. He heard the stories about her exploits, as she heard the same about his. It wasn't just about the money to him, and neither for her: the thrill of killing someone was an adrenaline rush for her and the most pleasurable form of release, not just mentally, but physically as well. She took a sociopathic glee in what she did and felt a strong sense of empowerment in what she did.

She smirked. "Just remember Bayman." She licked her lips. "The kiss of a snake is sweet and dangerous."

She heard him scoff. "So I've been told." She heard him take a sip of something. "Tell me what happened and then I'll tell you what I really called for."

Christie kept her smirk up. "You have something to tell me too?" She ran her fore and middle fingers of her right hand down her red lips, pulling the bottom half gently before letting go.

"Yes." Came the emotionless reply.

"Sounds like a deal." Christie calmly told him.

"Well?" Bayman pressed her; she laughed loudly at the obvious irritation in his voice.

Finishing her tomato, she took one more swig of water; maybe she could still relax after all.

"I guess I'll start from the beginning."

And so she did.

* * *

**Special Author's Note:** Long prologue, but I just couldn't stop writing. Plus, I just love the idea of Christie in the nude during this prologue. Also, this will not be told in first person, but third. Thought I'd let all my readers now.

**Next:** All hell breaks loose in San Diego!


	2. You Are The Target

**Chapter 1: You Are The Target**

**Introduction:** Here's the very first chapter. Get ready for some action. As I mentioned, I published this story before, but I made some alterations. If this is your first time reading this, then ignore what I've told you, if it's not, then I hope you'll like it anyway.

Enjoy!

* * *

**One week earlier**

**San Diego, California**

The ballroom that hosted the party was elegant.

Within the massive room to the north wall, was a large stage for the orchestra that played, with several large stereo speakers attached to the ceiling. In the center was a massive ice sculpture of a phoenix rising from the fire, it was enclosed by a large circular rotunda that holds several types of flowers and roses from many exotic locations.

There were many dining tables with white table clothes scattered about the room. For all intents, it was a standing room only event. Many servers walked around with drinks and hors d'ouevres. There was also several long tables against the west and east walls with several floor to ceiling windows behind the west wall. To the south, was the entryway and several massive windows.

Christie walked through several groups of people. She was not here to mingle, if anything, she was here to get away from all she had been through. The fourth Dead or Alive tournament had been completed recently and Christie had been successful in escaping certain death when the TriTower was destroyed. With DOATEC gone for now, she finally had a chance to decompress and get away from all the insanity she dealt with.

However, she had failed to eliminate Helena Douglas in the process and her boss, Victor Donovan, had disappeared after DOATEC collapsed. In turn, that meant she would not be paid for quite sometime. It angered her that she failed to accomplish her mission to eliminate Helena, though escaping the wrath of Ryu Hayabusa was what she felt the most relieved about.

The white-haired assassin walked towards the nearest table to grab a glass of champagne. She wore a simple black dress that ended at her ankles with thin straps over her shoulders and black high heels, with no jewelry except for her silver bracelet on her right wrist and a small watch on the other. She carried her small wallet with her.

As she picked up the glass of champagne, she turned and looked about the crowd. Many of them were just regular guests, or former DOATEC employees, some were from other companies that had come to enjoy themselves. Taking a small sip, she also checked all the nearest exits, given her profession, she could never be too careful. She also noted the several guards at some of the exits and at the entrance. She did have a black strap wrapped around her left thigh that held her knife and several small sting pellets. On the other thigh was her PC356 handgun, custom made for her, and fully loaded with 21 rounds and two extra clips.

She also had a small compartment under her heels that held razor-thin wires, and small needles. She was certainly hoping to not have to use either of her weapons, but chances are, she would have to before the night was over.

Finishing her glass, she placed it back down and picked up another one. Tonight, was a time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, even if she took no joy in seeing people in a celebratory mood.

"Well, well." Came a female Australian accent. "If isn't Christie."

Christie looked up and saw who it was that was standing slightly to her left a few feet away.

"Jessica." She could tell her voice was icy.

She tried not to grimace at the sight of the blonde Australian, wearing a blue dress that was the same as Christie's, minus the straps and blue heels, her hair reached down to her shoulders. Like Christie, she wore very little make-up and she was an assassin like her. She took in the sight of her and was quickly reminded that they looked somewhat alike, only Jessica had blonde eyebrows and cold-looking blue eyes.

"I thought the Lords of Alchemy didn't use assassins anymore?" The British woman replied indifferently, attempting to sound at least tolerant of having to deal with her.

The blonde smirked at the remark and moved forward to grab her own glass of champagne. She took a small sip and stood close to Christie.

"Occasionally, but not anymore." She stated matter-of-factly. "However, they were invited to this glamorous party and since I've helped them in the past." She stood close enough that her left shoulder ghosted against Christie's left. "They felt compelled to invite me along with them."

Christie felt the soft skin of Jessica's shoulder brush against hers. She felt knots form in her stomach at the touch of the Australian. In the back of her mind, she thought about how quickly she could kill her and escape without having to kill any guards.

"So they decided to reward you for all your work?" Christie asked stoically.

Jessica gave out a throaty laugh before finishing her drink. "Yes." She placed the glass back down and turned and leaned against the table. She studied the British woman for a second before continuing. Despite her age, the 24-year-old had accomplished quite a bit, and was renowned for her skills, much more than the 28-year-old had ever thought possible.

"Trying to enjoying the fruits of your labors?" She asked in a sarcastic tone.

Christie's ears perked up and she gave a small glare at the blonde. She could hear the sarcasm dripping in the other woman's voice. She didn't know whether she should strangle her to death, break the champagne glass and cut her eyes out or slap her across the face.

"I'm not here to enjoy anything." Christie responded, trying to sound as calm as possible. "I wanted to get away and I remembered I had an invite." She finished her drink and looked into the cold blue eyes of her counterpart. "No ulterior motive tonight."

Jessica nodded. "Such a shame." She replied. Christie noted the long scar that adorned her left forearm. She noted how deep it once was and she took a sense of pride at seeing her handiwork. "Though I know it's not always about the money for you."

Placing her half empty glass on the table, the white-haired woman turned so the front of her body was facing the blonde.

"Cut to the chase, Jessica." Christie said in a low growl. "What do you want?"

Jessica laughed loudly, resulting in several people close to them looking in their direction. She wiped some tears from her eyes. "Oh, Christie." She said, she took a few breaths to calm herself. "I'm just a fellow assassin saying hello."

Christie leered at her for a second. She could tell the woman was lying, but she wasn't quite sure what she was trying to hide either.

"Really now?"

Jessica licked her lips and smirked. "Well…" She faked having a 'blonde moment' before continuing. "I asked to do one special task tonight…" She leaned forward in a seductive manner and pressed her lips to Christie's ear.

"To kill you." Jessica said with coldness in her voice, making sure to emphasize the words. Christie's eyes went wide for a second. While she wasn't entirely surprised by the revelation, she wondered who or what asked her to try and kill her.

Suddenly, guns were heard being cocked and several screams and shouts. Through her peripheral vision, Christie saw the crowd scatter and a dozen men with various machine guns were twenty-five feet from them. Christie dropped her wallet and roughly shoved the blonde away from her and turned to face the men.

Christie took up a stance as if prepared to strike, balling her fists and keeping them out in front of her. She had no time to set-up her She Quan stance, so improvisation became necessary. The party guests had cleared out quickly and noticed that several guards were unconscious.

_Incompetent men._ Christie thought upon seeing the prone guards.

Jessica walked towards the group and took her place in the middle and placed her hands on her curvy hips. "Really, Christie, so easy to catch you."

Christie felt small beads of sweat course down her forehead and down her chest. She started calculating how quickly she could avoid the gunfire and pull out her gun. The odds were against her, but she had been through much worse. She survived the wrath of Hayabusa after all. At least for now.

"But not easy to kill, either." She replied with a calm voice.

Jessica scoffed at her. "We'll see." She lifted her dress and pulled out a Desert Eagle from a gun holder attached to her thigh. She flipped the safety off and cocked the gun. "Kill her." She said using the laser site to aim the gun between the British woman's eyes.

Christie dived to her left and rolled forward. Jessica and her men began firing at her as she ran. Christie did a quick slide over the table to her left and landed behind the other side. She quickly reached under her dress and pulled her PC356 out, she cocked the gun back and waited for the group to cease firing.

During this time Christie, pulled out two capped needles from her left heel. She had them all filled with poison.

"Cease fire!" Jessica yelled.

Her men stopped firing, some began to check their weapons.

"Christie!" Jessica announced. She took two small steps forward to where her fellow assassin was located. "Make this easy on yourself." She said with a menacing voice. "Just give up and I'll make sure your death is quick."

Christie snorted at the response. She crawled carefully to the side and took a quick glance over. She surmised that the men surrounding Jessica weren't planning on moving from their current position, so it bought her time to counterattack.

"Why don't you drop your gun and fight me hand-to-hand?" She yelled out from behind the table. She let out a devilish smile before she spoke again.

Jessica pressed the back of her gun against her red lips and gave thought to her offer. "No, no. As much fun as it would be to best you in hand-to-hand." She pointed her gun forward again. "I'd rather shoot you in the heart."

"I promise not to ruin your skin with anymore scars!" She said in a joyful tone. The last time they encountered each other was in Hong Kong, they were both sent on separate missions to kill two mafia leaders. Both were successful, but Jessica had foolishly challenged Christie in hand-to-hand combat.

The She Quan fighter had easily bested the Aikido fighter, however Jessica had opted to pull out her jagged knife and tried to stab Christie in the heart. However, she managed to grab the knife and slice her left arm open before departing, telling her it was a warning to never challenge her again.

Jessica's eyes lit up and an enraged look spread across her face. "Fuck you, bitch!" She screeched.

She fired her Desert Eagle several times at the table. Christie covered her head with her left arm, but the rage Jessica let out made her lose focus on the target. After the firing ceased, Christie laughed maliciously.

"You are so easy," Christie yelled out. She slowly crawled to the other table that was still standing, thankfully the white tablecloths kept her out of sight. She remained as quiet as possible and slowly positioned herself for a sneak attack.

"Easy?" Jessica shrieked, she heard the white-haired assassin laughing loudly again, she had her wrapped around her finger and she knew it. "How dare you!"

Jessica stomped forward and peered over the fallen table. Jessica went wide-eyed at the empty space. She turned around and frantically looked around for wear the assassin was.

"Where are you?" She screamed. Her men looked around in a panic, they also knew who they were dealing with.

"Right here." Christie said calmly.

She popped out from behind the other drink table and threw two poison tipped needles at the necks of two men, they dropped instantly and convulsed in pain and gasped for air as they slowly died. She quickly aimed her handgun at two of her targets and pulled the trigger.

The others weren't quick to react as two of their comrades were shot in the head. One was shot through his right eye and blood and brains splattered in multiple directions. The other was shot between the eyes and fell like a wall face first.

"Fire! What are you waiting for?" Jessica screamed again, she quickly aimed her gun and fired.

Christie jumped over the table and rolled over to pick up her wallet that she dropped earlier and smoothly slid it between her black strap and right thigh. Doing a baseball slide, she quickly stood up and aimed her gun, firing as fast she could as she ran to reach the nearest exit.

However, machine gun fire cut her off and she had to roll to her right and take cover behind another table. Flipping it over, with silverware, plates and chairs flew in multiple directions. Christie emptied her PC356 and reloaded with another clip. She knew that she had to acquire one their weapons if she was to get out unscathed.

Christie peered up and saw that two massive speakers were right above the ice sculpture. She had a distraction, but she would to make it quick, one chance was all she had.

Christie could hear Jessica yelling to circle around and flank her. The British assassin had only about 75 seconds before she was surrounded. Thinking quickly she took both her heels off, she noticed that several of her needles had somehow broken during the skirmish, however her three sting pellets were intact.

The sting pellets were far smaller than sting grenades and she knew she would only have ten seconds at most before everyone recovered.

Sensing that she was getting surrounded quickly, she tossed her pellets over the left and covered her ears and closed her eyes shut.

"What the fucks that?" Screamed one of the men.

"Stingers!" Yelled another.

Jessica gasped and quickly tried to cover her eyes and ears and duck behind cover.

The small explosions were loud and sounded like wasps were in the air. Some of the men screamed and doubled over in pain. Christie used this to her advantage and holstering her gun, quickly hopped over and sprinted to the nearest machine gun that had fallen earlier.

She jumped and flipped over a few tables before hand on her haunches next to one of her victim's weapons. She kneeled and quickly picked up the MP5, one of her favorites, and checked quickly if it was still loaded. She smiled at the fact this was fully loaded again.

Turning quickly and still on her knee, Christie aimed up and fired at the large number of suspension cables that held the speakers. "Such a shame to ruin a nice piece of art." Pulling the trigger, she fired several bursts.

Jessica meanwhile, recovered quickly enough to try and locate Christie. She quickly heard gunfire and saw the Brit firing at the ceiling. Looking up, Jessica let out a loud gasp.

"Shit!" She exclaimed.

Jessica quickly made eye contact with the Brit and saw her wink and blow a kiss at her, all the while smiling. She watched as Christie stood up and made for the nearest exit.

"What the…?" Groaned one man, hearing a loud noise, he quickly looked up and saw what was coming down.

"Holy shit…!"

Four men ran and dove for cover, but the others weren't as fortunate. The speakers crashed into the sculpture and scattered sharp ice and debris everywhere. Two large and sharp ice pieces fell and hit two men in the chest and head respectively. While one of the speakers exploded and sent one man flying into a wall and onto the floor in a heap. The other man was crushed on the head by the other speaker.

Jessica had successfully taking cover behind a table. After the chaos had calmed downed, she carefully stood up. She was breathing rapidly and her dress and hair were ruined. She started to walk around the table, but felt her right heel snap.

She looked behind her and lifted her for, cursing she ripped it off and through it aside.

"Where'd she go?"

Jessica looked at the remaining members of her team. She gritted her teeth and thought about killing all of them for their failure, but she already had enough on her plate.

"She escaped!" She yelled, she pointed at two of them. "Find her. Now!"

"Yes, ma'am." One nodded and they turned and headed to one of the closet exits.

Jessica breathed hard and deep. She knew this wasn't going to easy, she just didn't expect Christie to be even better then the last time.

"Shit." Was all Jessica said as she surveyed the ruined ballroom. DOATEC was not going to be happy about all the damage done. She sat on the edge of a table and closed her eyes. Again, Christie had beaten her. Not only was Jessica trying to comprehend what just happened, but she started to wonder if what people were saying about her was true.

"Looks like you underestimated her." Came a female voice from her left.

Jessica turned and saw Lovelace from the Lords of Alchemy standing in front of her. The short-haired blonde was wearing a white strapless dress that showed off her curves nicely.

"Don't Lovelace." Jessica said angrily holding her hand up.

The blonde smirked and gave a throaty laugh. "Oh, my." She slowly approached the Aussie. "Don't take your anger out on me." She swept an arm around the to room to point out all the damage done. "Blame yourself for this mess."

Jessica huffed and rubbed her temples. She thought about how happy she was: not having to work for this woman anymore. If she wasn't so exhausted and frustrated right now, she would walk over and slap her across the face.

"It's not my fault you wanted so badly to kill her." Lovelace sat down on one the few tables that hadn't been destroyed during the chaos, crossing one leg over the other and resting her elbow on a knee. "You volunteered your services to her comrade." She gently ran her fingers under her chin.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. Explaining what just happened isn't something I'm looking forward to."

Lovelace nodded and pursed her lips in thought. She took in the blonde Australian for a moment before finally speaking again. "Why are you trying to kill her?"

Jessica looked up and furrowed her brow. "I have my reasons."

Lovelace nodded. "Reasons?" Her eyes went wide and she chuckled. "Oh, I see."

Jessica glared at the slightly older blonde for a second. "See what?" She asked in a condescending tone.

She stood up quickly and turned on her heel to walk outside. "I never thought you would stoop that low for vengeance."

Jessica stood and balled her fists. "What's it to you?" She spat out.

Lovelace sauntered out slowly. "Nothing really." She walked away brushing her off. "I'm just surprised that someone that was once great is that desperate to regain her status."

Jessica wanted to rush behind her and rip her apart, but something within stopped the Australian assassin from doing just that. She unclenched her fists and let her shoulders slump. Maybe she was right. What if why she agreed to kill Christie was because of her fall from grace?

She shook her head furiously and tried to ignore those thoughts. Looking up she saw two of her men return.

"Did you find her?" Jessica asked.

Both men shook their heads.

"Negative, she must have slipped out somehow."

Jessica groaned and rubbed her temples even harder. It was a long night and she needed to rest.

"Let's just get out of here. Dump the bodies." She started to walk out.

The remaining members of her team nodded and began to clean up the mess.

As Jessica walked out, she thought about whether the money she was getting was worth the trouble at all.

* * *

**Next:** Safe house.


	3. Playful Assistance

**Chapter 2: Playful Assistance**

**Introduction:** Here's the latest chapter. A very straightforward part.

Enjoy!

* * *

**San Diego**

**Christie's Hidden Apartment**

**12:02AM**

It had been 45 minutes since she escaped the ship. After escaping through one of the side exits near the kitchen, Christie successfully reached her motorcycle and was able to ride off without any trouble. Though before she left, she wiped down the MP5 and disassembled the weapon and tossed it into a barrel.

After moving at high speeds through the city, she was able to reach her safe house, while it also served as an apartment, it felt more like safe house. Located at one of the quieter and low populated areas of the picturesque city of San Diego. Pulling to a stop, she looked up at the old building, flipping up a small cover, she pressed her thumb against the screen and right in front of her the hidden garage door opened slowly.

After checking her sensor system for anyone around, she rolled her bike in and kicked the kickstand to the ground to park it in place. Walking towards the far wall, she inputted her security codes and the doors shut.

Walking to an open door, she climbed the stairs into her safe house. The white-haired Brit stopped at a panel and placed her left hand on it, the screen came to life with a blue and red color.

"Scanning handprint." The female voice stated, as the scanner read her prints. "Scan complete."

Christie pulled her hand away and watched as circles went around her fingerprints and palm for verification. After hearing a small, but audible beep, the system then switched to the eye scanner.

"Handprint verified." Christie watched as two eye scanners appeared on the left. "Commencing retina verification."

Christie leaned forward and pressed her eyes to the retina device, watching the green scanner make a quick sweep of her eyes; she waited for the next beep, before pulling away.

The security system finished with the scan and the assassin took a step back. She rubbed her eyes to get the pupils back to normal.

"Identity confirmed." The voice said. The door to her left opened and Christie pushed open the door with ease. Walking in, she flipped the light switch on and the ceiling lights illuminated the darkened living room.

Christie walked through the living area and towards the kitchen, slipping her heels off and dropping them to the floor. She also tossed her wallet onto the small table nonchalantly. She walked towards the small kitchen island and took a glass out from the cabinet. Pulling the refrigerator open she pulled out a large pitcher of ice water and poured it into the tall glass.

Placing the pitcher back in, she walked towards the black couch, which was in the center of the room and sat down, placing the glass onto the coaster on the glass coffee table. In the center was her laptop and she flipped it open. The screen lit up and leaned forward to pick up her iPhone sitting next to the laptop.

Turning it on, she quickly sent a message to one of her most reliable and trustworthy contact. In actuality, this person was the only one she trusted. Setting her phone down, she started to type on the keyboard waiting for a response. Picking her glass up, she leaned back and crossed her legs and patiently waited.

She saw her reflection on the 37-inch television she owned. She wasn't one to watch much television, preferring to read a book or practice her She Quan techniques in the small dojo directly behind her. Sipping her water, she quietly mused about the earlier tonight.

She did want to her enjoy herself as much as possible at the party, but Jessica showing up and trying to kill her ruined all that. The white-haired woman was trying to understand what her motives were besides being 'asked' to kill her. Though she knew that one particular reason was how she embarrassed the older woman in one-on-one combat in Hong Kong and scarred her.

Yet, there had to be another reason and she was going to find out. Broken from her thoughts she heard her phone go off and light up. Uncrossing her legs, she stretched and pick up her phone and let a half-smile form. Her contact had texted her back and told her to hold on.

Placing her phone on the cushion to her left, she used her free hand to select the secure line and entered the passcodes. She watched as the green bar slid to the right and initiated the video chat.

The screen went black for several seconds, before the face of her contact appeared.

"What do you need, Christie?" The male voice said to her, his brown hair was slightly messy and he looked like he just got out of bed. He was wearing a white t-shirt and had his glasses on.

"Am I interrupting anything, Kent?" Christie asked with a small amount of sarcasm.

Kent Anderson sighed loudly and shook his head. The young man just looked at her for a second and decided to try and play nice with her. He realized that the only good thing about talking to her in this late hour was that he lived up north in San Jose, but that didn't mean he appreciated being roused from the beginnings of a peaceful slumber.

"No." He answered. "I was actually starting to fall asleep." He scratched his left shoulder before leaning on the armrest of his chair. "But your text made it sound like it was urgent."

She looked at him while drinking her glass. Nodding her head, she licked her lips. "It is." Came her emotionless reply.

"Well, what is it?" Kent asked, slightly annoyed.

Placing her glass back down, she crossed her legs again and rested her arms on them. "I had a most unpleasant encounter with someone tonight."

"Who?"

"Jessica Tollison." She answered. "If I remember correctly, you've dealt with her as well."

Kent nodded his head and drank from a large cup. "Yeah, I have, came close to taking her down to."

Christie nodded her and pressed a few keys to bring up a square at the top left corner of her screen. Jessica's image appeared as well as her attributes and bio. She stared at the cold blue eyes of the blonde and sneered for a brief moment.

"Doesn't look like you had a pleasant experience with her tonight." Kent stated with mild amusement at seeing the always emotionless and cold-hearted woman flash a sneer at the image.

"Don't make me hurt you, Kent." Christie growled. She glared at him for a moment, but she could tell that he wasn't the least bit concerned.

He laughed a little and took another sip of his drink. "Don't get all riled up." He retorted. "Obviously, you called me this late because Jessica did something that pissed you off."

Christie snorted and pulled away from the screen a bit. "Yes, she did." She settled herself down.

Kent waited patiently for her to continue. He stared blankly at the woman; she could tell by the look in his eyes that her beauty enamored him. Even though it was his job to take people like her down. She felt a sense of pride that he desired her, even if he knew that there was a definite chance that she would attempt to kill him at the first opportunity.

She tried to hold back the smile that wanted to come out at the thought of their intimate encounters in the three years that they knew one another. Though it never resulted in full-on sex, she did enjoy sharing a bed with him. While she was a cold-hearted and merciless assassin-for-hire, she was a woman, who had her wants and desires that needed to be fulfilled.

Exhaling, she finally spoke. "I encountered her at a party held on one of DOATEC's ships."

Kent gave her a bemused expression. "But didn't Helena Douglas destroy the TriTower a few months ago?"

"Yes, but many of their assets were claimed by other companies and one of their many cruise ships were one of them." Christie explained.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement. "And you had an invite, correct?"

"Yes," Christie replied. "She was sent to kill me, though she never revealed whom."

Kent rubbed his chin with his fingers in thought. "And you want me to dig around and find out who she's working for?" He didn't have to press for more information or ask what she needed from him. They had known each other for three years now and they had developed a rather unique relationship.

"If that isn't a bother to you." Christie replied. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and felt some drowsiness crop up.

He shrugged a shoulder and typed on his computer. "Give me until tomorrow. I have a lot of digging to do and some talking to do with my CIA contacts to find out what she's been up to since I last saw her."

Christie was taken slightly aback by his response. "You also ran into her?"

Kent nodded his head. "Yeah. I was sent on a mission by the CIA to trail her in Orlando a few months ago. Unfortunately, she escaped before I could capture her."

She pursed her lips at his answer; she knew he was more of a freelance agent, so she found it surprising that the government agency would let him be able to access information. "You still work for the CIA?"

The 25-year-old nodded his head and smirked at her. "Yes, but only on a contract." He decided to have fun with her. "They still ask me to do things from time to time. I get paid decent money for it, which allows me to work a part time job, much to my folks chagrin."

"However, since I'm helping someone as deadly as you." He grinned at her. "I might as well do something during my down time."

She stifled a laugh, and leaned back on her couch, she rested both her arms on the top and stuck her chest out. "Well, hopefully, your still doing something with yourself besides all this."

"Of course," He smiled at her. "Applying to graduate school next year, want to do something that makes an impact on people's lives." She could tell he was being genuine with her, which, for all intents and purposes was something she was incapable of understanding.

"Whatever." Christie told him as she cracked her neck. "When should I contact you tomorrow?"

Kent waved his right hand at her, while writing notes with his left. "I'll text you sometime in the afternoon."

Christie pulled away from the couch, she watched as he was preparing to sign off. "Good. I'll be waiting."

He was about to say something else, but she shut off the feed and turned her laptop off. She closed it and picked her glass up and stood up from the couch, taking her phone with her. Downing the last of her water, she placed the glass into the sink. Shutting off the kitchen lights went to a wall panel that had a keyboard and a small monitor.

Pressing several buttons, she activated her security system and made sure the laser sensors were on outside and inside before turning and picking up her heels. Flipping the lights off she entered the small hallway to her bedroom, to her immediate right was the door to her dojo, and she decided that first thing in the morning she would practice.

Walking down the darkened hall, she walked into her bedroom and shut the door and felt the cool breeze seep through from the half open window to the left. Feeling too exhausted to take a shower, even a quick one, she tossed her heels onto the floor and her phone onto the bed, it landed just under her pillows, she bent down to remove her weapon straps around her thighs, she tossed them against the wall.

She quickly reached under with both hands and slipped her red panties off and dropped them on the small rug in front of the closet, she then pulled her dress off from the bottom and gently slid it up her lithe form. As she slid the black piece off, she felt the cool air against her bare skin.

The dress lifted her breasts gently and they bounced lightly. She dropped the dress onto the floor, she grabbed the comforter and pulled it to the bottom, letting half of it fall to the floor. She yanked at the sheets and folded them in half. Christie crawled onto her bed on all fours from the bottom and to the top. She felt the cotton cool cotton sheets against her legs and hands as she crawled slowly and almost in a seductive nature. Her nipple hardening and her skin developing goose pimples as the cool night air and sheets surrounded her gorgeous and perfect body.

Lying on her side, she placed her iPhone onto the nightstand rested her head onto a pillow and sighed with content. Before she could close her eyes, the phone went off, she grumbled to herself and rested her elbow on the pillow and pulled the phone off the table. The light of the screen brightened her face and her eyes in the darkness.

She shook her head incredulously at the message she saw. It was from Kent.

_**You cut me off before I could say one more thing.**_

She snorted and texted him back.

_**What is it?**_

A few seconds later, his next text surprised her.

_**Goodnight and be careful. I would hate to see you get hurt.**_

Christie was taken slightly aback by this and felt her heart skip a beat. Reading it over twice and taking it all in. She was a cold and callous woman, and yet, this man that she had this bizarre relationship with was revealing his concerns for her. She didn't know whether to laugh manically or threaten him with torture.

Instead, she texted something back that she wouldn't do for anyone else.

_**Thank you and the same to you. Goodnight.**_

She finished the message and sent it, as she put her phone back on the nightstand, she gently pulled the bed sheets up and covered herself up to her slim hips. As she was preparing to lie down again, she heard one more message tone.

She snorted loudly and picked her phone up. She read the message from Kent and laughed uproariously.

_**Care to send me a nice naked picture of you again? So I can have something to dream about?**_ There was smiley face at the end of the message.

"Oh my god." She wiped a few tears from her eyes.

She texted him and smiled. She was enjoying the playfulness between each other.

_**Maybe I'll do more than that if you get me what I need.**_ Christie put a pair of 'xo' at the end and a wink.

She placed her phone back and lied down. She smiled and felt much better about how her night ended. Even if she had more pressing matters to attend to with Jessica and her mysterious employer out to get kill her.

As she drifted off to sleep, the smile still lingered on her face.

* * *

**Next:** Interesting Information


	4. Unsettling Information

**Chapter 3: Unsettling Information**

**Introduction:** Here's a new chapter. It's nice to see two people like this story.

Enjoy!

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**Christie's Hidden Apartment**

**The Next Morning**

**8:05AM**

"Haaaahhh!"

Christie had finished several different techniques of her She Quan. She paused and took up her stance again, she had spent the last half hour practicing. She looked at her reflection in front of her wall length mirror, wearing black spandex pants with red flames and a black sports bra with red flames over the chest, her feet were bare as she moved about the padded floor.

She had woken up an hour earlier and instead of taking a shower had chosen to workout to relieve the small amount of stress that still coursed through her body. She breathed deeply and did a few low kicks and punches, she then slid and did a few spinning moves followed by several middle punches and kicks. For the next several minutes she continued her intense workout, grunting and growling as she moved throughout the small dojo she built.

She paused once again feeling the sweat drip all over her body. Closing her eyes, she thought of last night and her encounter with Jessica. She knew what her motives were, but whom was she working with behind the scenes? Who paid her? Why? These questions had run through her mind since she left the ship and returned home.

Christie opened her eyes and narrowed them.

"Wooooaaaaahhhhh!"

She dished out several high moves and a few aerial flips before landing gracefully and relaxed herself. The white-haired assassin stood up and finished her practice session. Stretching her muscles, she grunted satisfaction at her workout.

Walking over to the small table against the wall closet to the door, she picked up her energy drink and downed it quickly. She licked her lips and picked up her towel that hung from a horizontal pole above the table. Wiping some sweat, she shut the lights off and walked out and headed to her bedroom to pick up a pair of lace bra and panties, she then headed to her bathroom to shower.

Twenty minutes later, Christie walked out wearing blue lingerie and had just finished drying her hair. Tossing the towel and her workout attire along with the other towel she used into a basket, she headed towards the kitchen.

She opened the fridge and pulled a can of tomato juice and opened it. Quickly downing the contents, she picked up an apple and bit into it. The British woman peaked outside and noticed how beautiful it was, but she had little time to waste, a fellow assassin and her mysterious benefactor were hunting her.

As she thought about Jessica, she started to think about how the blonde must feel about her. Christie leaned against the counter and mused that since her arrival into same profession, Jessica has lost some of her luster. Then again, it wasn't Christie's fault she was a proficient and stealthy assassin. If it upset the Aussie so much, than she should work harder at her craft is what Christie thought.

Her thoughts were broken up at the loud buzzing from her phone. Pulling away from the counter, she walked over and picked up the little device and read the message.

It was from Kent and he needed to speak to her.

Christie sat down on her couch and flipped open her laptop and it lit up. She inputted several passcodes and initiated the video chat. Several seconds later, the image of Kent popped up.

"Do you have something?" The assassin asked.

Kent shook his head and pushed his glasses up by the rim. "Yeah, I do."

Christie stared at him as she leaned forward. "Well?"

Kent sighed and began typing on his keyboard, a few files cropped up on the screen and Christie looked at them with a bemused expression.

"It's not much, obviously." Came his reply. He selected one particular file and enlarged it. "But this could give you an idea of who she might be working for."

Christie read the file closely. "Hmm…" She licked her red lips before leaning back slightly. "She's been to Europe and Russia quite a bit over the last months."

Kent nodded his head. "Yep. It seems like she's had some work in those places."

He made the image smaller and then flipped to a few other images. Christie looked at them and noticed Jessica walking through Moscow and either shopping or exiting various buildings. She couldn't help but notice one particular image of someone she was talking too at a café, however, that person's back was to the camera. The British woman couldn't make out who it was because of the massive overcoat and black bowler hat. She noticed several others and moved her finger over the track pad to examine several different images of Jessica and her mystery associate.

"She's been talking to somebody it looks like. She'd fly back and forth from London and to Moscow on many occasions." Kent explained after sipping his drink. "Couldn't figure out who it was. Neither the photos taken nor the surveillance cameras could pick up the identity of the person she spoke too."

Christie nodded her head. "Clearly, she knew that she would be watched and so did her associate." It was an obvious statement, but worth saying all the same.

"I haven't found much else about her activities. Just her bank statements and flight records." Kent went on, showing another list of information pertaining to the Australian.

Christie examined the images and after several moments they disappeared from the screen and replaced by Kent's face. He looked at her and paused for a moment.

"Is there something else?" Christie asked stoically.

"Yes." Kent replied. He pursed his lips, what he was about to tell her was going to raise the stakes of this whole situation.

"And?" Christie asked irritably.

"Apparently, according to my sources." Kent began; he looked at her square in the face. "Her mysterious associate gave her information about who murdered Maria Douglas last year."

Christie's eyes went wide with horror and she quickly felt a surge of anger within. She balled her fists and her nose flared up.

"What?"

Kent nodded, but also gave her a knowing look. "Jessica has information on who murdered Maria Douglas." He paused and watched her reaction. ""You know what that means, right?"

Christie leaned back and snorted loudly and crossed her arms under her breasts. What she was just told changed everything, she was going to out her to whatever government agency needed that information or whoever was out to get her. She gritted her teeth and turned to her left and shut her eyes.

Now it was a race against time to stop Jessica from revealing this or taking her out. Yet, Christie knew that Jessica would use this against her in some capacity and try to coax her into doing something against her will. She would not allow that.

"Christie?" Kent asked.

She turned her head and looked at him with her cold eyes.

"Good work." Was all she told him, she reached over to shut off the video chat.

"You do realize that, " He interrupted her, and she stopped her fingers from typing on the keyboard.

"Realize what?" She retorted.

"That you can't let her know it was you." Kent answered, he swallowed and folded his hands together and placed them in front of his face. "Or sell it to the highest bidder."

Christie regarded him for a moment and nodded in understanding. "She doesn't know yet."

Kent shook his head in response. "No, but you realize that if she sold it to the CIA…" He paused and let it sink in for a moment for the both of them.

"I know." Christie replied. He leaned forward and gently pressed two fingers to her red lips and placed them in front of the screen. "I will never be good…"

Kent smiled softly and waved her off. "Don't mention it." He told her. "Just be careful."

Christie forced a smile. "Of course."

He shut his feed off and Christie stared at her desktop. She turned off her laptop and shut it closed. Standing up, she looked at her reflection from the television and knew what she had to do.

She had to hunt Jessica down and eliminate her. This wasn't going to be amount money or the thrill of killing someone.

It was about preservation of one's life and profession. It was about survival.

And she was going to survive and win.

* * *

**Next:** Battle at the docks.


	5. Battle At The Dock

**Chapter 4: Battle At The Dock**

**Introduction:** It's good to know that this story is starting to gain some traction. So, here's another chapter. Straightforward really.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Later that day…**

**1:09PM**

Christie had ridden her bike through several streets and arrived at one of the many boardwalks that adorned the several port of San Diego. Parking her bike at the designated spot, she hopped off and took her black helmet with blue flames off and strapped it onto the seat. Walking away, she proceeded to walk through the massive boardwalk.

Christie had no real reason to be here. In actuality, she needed the fresh air and to clear her mind. Given how difficult it was going to be to track Jessica and get back the information she had on Maria Douglas' murderer, she needed to be around a more peaceful and quieter environment.

It was much different from her earlier decision to not go out. That changed when she couldn't determine her course of action while sitting at her safe house. Frustrated, she left and decided to cruise around the city, ultimately arriving at one of the boardwalks of San Diego.

Walking about, she noticed it was fairly quiet for this time of day, but then again, it was a welcome sight. Dressed in her black jacket and pants with blue flame detailing, her black and red boots and her red belt, minus her jewelry and knee guards. The only difference was she wore a black one-strap crop top underneath with a zombie motif, when she had worn this outfit before it was without a top. And while she was a nudist at times or could be considered an exhibitionist to many, she did have her sense of modesty, even if it was limited.

As she passed several shops and small eateries, she felt a sense of dread at what Jessica would do with the information she possessed. Many questions ran through her mind as to who gave it to her. Who? Why? What was their reason? And did Jessica really now it was her who murdered Maria?

As Christie thought long and hard, she paused and stood in front a large storefront and looked at what was displayed via the windows. She smirked at the many swords, knives and various blades that were hanging in the display; she peeked inside a little more and saw many suits of armor and other weaponry. Many were for decorative purposes or collectors, but she knew some could be used for offensive or stealthy possibilities.

She thought about how much it would cost to purchase a knife or war blade. And since money wasn't an object for her, she thought it wouldn't hurt to walk inside, as she was about to turn towards the door, she felt a hard object jam into her side. She paused and sucked in some air, she knew judging from the angle of the material against her side that it was a gun.

"Don't you think it's dangerous for a beautiful woman such as yourself to be around sharp objects?" Came a deep voice beside her.

Christie turned her head slightly to the left and noticed the tall man next to her. She recognized him from last night; obviously they must have been tracking her somehow. She realized how careless it was of her to not at least check her bike or dress. Narrowing her eyes, but remaining calm, she waited for the man to say something else.

"Seems like your behaving." He told her calmly and with a smirk. He was wearing a hat backwards and had shaggy blonde hair underneath. "Let's head over someplace safer. Shall we?"

He motioned his head to continue. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Christie replied with iciness in her tone.

"Good." He flipped a switch with his finger and the safety was now off. "I do occasionally have an itchy trigger finger." He grinned at her evilly.

Christie nodded her head and started to move with him. They quickly moved through the crowd and reached a dock area at the edge of the boardwalk. The blonde man lead her to a side door and opened it for her so she could walk in. He nudged her in with the gun now pressed to her back.

Still cooperating, Christie walked in and passed several large crates and storage containers. The massive room had several large windows that had the sun illuminating everything and there were several overhead lights that were on as well. Walking towards the center, Christie saw several people sitting around several smaller containers; besides the one behind her, she counted at least eight other men and there was one she wasn't surprised to see among them.

"Jessica." Christie said with disgust.

The said blonde turned and looked at the Brit with an amused look. "Hello, Christie."

"Move." The shaggy blonde man said as he pushed her roughly on the shoulder.

Christie turned her head back and glared. "Don't push me too far." She walked forward a few steps. "Unless you want the poisonous bite of a snake."

Christie stopped only a few feet in front of Jessica. They stared each other down for a few seconds and Jessica dished out a small laugh.

"That's twice that I was able to catch you off guard." Jessica said mockingly. She placed a hand on her hip, wearing a blue leather jacket, a black top underneath and a pair of black leather pants and blue and black boots. She rubbed her chin and studied the woman across from her closely.

"You must be slipping." Jessica mused and dished out a twisted smile.

Christie chuckled and frowned. "Perhaps." She was about to walk towards her, but felt a strong arm pull her back. She looked at the same man who had caught her earlier and she saw him narrow his eyes at her. "Remember what I just said?"

"Shove it." He replied.

Christie snorted and shook her head. "I'd be glad too."

"Why you…" The man reared his hand back and was about to smack her, but Jessica waved him off.

"You'll have a chance later." Jessica told him, he settled down and nodded his head. "Let us talk."

The man pulled away, but still made sure to stand behind her. Christie crossed her arms over her chest and took a more relaxed stance.

"You're not escaping this time." Jessica said as she kept her hand on her hip and started to pace back and forth. "I made sure we picked a place that was more…" She looked around the room. "Condensed."

Christie looked around a little more and pursed her lips. "I've worked in smaller." She replied nonchalantly.

The Aussie snorted and stopped and looked at her fellow assassin with a sneer. "Are you always this arrogant?"

"No." She retorted, she felt a sense of pride at how she could mess with the woman across from her. "I'm just confident in what I can do."

Jessica bit her lower lip and tried to hold back her pent up rage. She balled a fist and counted to ten before speaking again.

"Are you confident to stop me from using this against you?" Jessica said as reached into her pocket and pulled out a USB drive. She couldn't help but notice Christie's slightly surprised look upon seeing the little black device.

Noticing this, Jessica smirked. "Oh, does this upset you?" She twirled the device in her fingers. "Just so you know, I have no clue what's in this." She stopped twirling the device and looked at it for a moment.

"Apparently, this contains some revealing information." She blinked a few times and thumbed the drive. "And I was told you know something about this."

Christie felt some sweat drip down her brow, while she felt some relief inside that Jessica didn't know what the contents were, now she could call her bluff and Christie might not be able to do something about it. The only positive was that she didn't know that the contents contained all the information on Maria and the murder, as well as whatever else was on it.

"So, we can make this easy." Jessica explained, she slipped the device back into her pocket and now had both hands on her hips. "You can simply let me kill you. Or I can torture you." She licked her lips in a seductive manner as she looked up and down Christie's body. "And you have no idea how much fun it would be to do that."

Several of her men laughed behind her and Christie could hear her captor chuckle. She calmly stood and let them have their fun. They would all be dead soon anyway.

"Or?" Christie asked, motioning her to continue.

"Or." Jessica replied. "You can do it the hard way." She turned and motioned for her men to stand up. They quickly stood next to her and several pulled out clubs, chains and knives. "Which is it?"

Christie grinned and placed a finger on her chin and pretended to be in deep thought. She could tear all these men apart with ease, but Jessica would escape and still have the drive. However, if she was to get that drive back, she had to get out of this.

"Well?" Jessica asked with an impatient tone.

Christie pulled her finger away and dished out a confident smirk. "I think…" She then spun around the man behind her and grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

The man howled as Christie grabbed his free hand, still in his pocket and put it in his jacket and pulled the gun out. She placed two fingers on one part of his wrist. "I think I'll do it the hard way."

She smiled and pressed her fingers on the man's wrist and she watched as the man, no longer in control of his fingers, fired several rounds in front of them all the while controlling the arm. Jessica ducked and several others did as well, but two men were shot, one in between the eyes and another was shot in the chest.

Christie smiled and then let go of the man and faced him; she grabbed the gun and pushed it into his mouth. She looked him square in the eyes. "I told you not to push me." She said with a hint of malice, pulling the trigger and killing him instantly.

"KILL HER!" Jessica shrieked as she stood up and rubbed the back of her head.

Christie backed away and felt a pair of arms wrap around her head and neck. She felt the grip tighten around her throat and she struggled out of it. Christie leaned forward and the man slammed onto the ground with a loud thud. He rolled over and rested on all fours, but Christie kicked him in the head and he fell towards a crate.

Christie watched as another man charged her and tried to hit a spin kick, but she grabbed both legs and lifted herself off the ground and delivered her Ryutsui-Ren-Kyaku, kicking him in the head slamming him to the ground with a loud thud and knocking him unconscious. Christie then saw another man swing at her and she quickly hit her Dokuja-Senraku and breaking the arm and listening as he screamed in pain, she finished the job by stomping on his head and rendering him unconscious.

Christie then began blocking several moves and countered several times. She then pulled her thin wire out from her boot and wrapped it around one man's neck. As she choked the man, she spun around delivered several kicks to the others. The man struggled to break free, but was quickly losing any signs of life.

Christie then kneed the man in the back and heard an audible crack and threw him into two others. Jessica then charged in and threw several punches and kicks. Both fought each other for several seconds as two other men that weren't taken out yet tried to attack the Brit.

Christie ducked a high kick and then pressed her palms together and delivered a hard strike to Jessica's stomach, the wind was knocked out of her as she flew into several crates. Another man charged with a jagged knife, she then blocked the knife swing and quickly grabbed the blade; she pulled it from his hand and stabbed him in the eye with it. He let out a blood-curdling scream and fell to the ground.

Another tried hitting her with his club, but she countered and snapped the man's wrist, he cried out in pain. She smiled with pure joy as she sweep kicked him to the ground and then wrapped her legs around his neck and slammed her heel onto his throat, killing him instantly. Christie then did a backwards roll and stood up.

Christie flipped through the air and hit another sweep kick, knocking one man down. He recovered quickly, but Christie grabbed him, she pulled his gun out from his holster and pushed it between his shoulders and fired. He collapsed in a heap as blood seeped through the back of his shirt.

She gasped when she heard the cocking of several guns, turning she saw Jessica and two of her remaining men stand up. The blonde held a G36 and the others held shotguns.

"Nice show." Jessica said breathing hard; she gave an evil grin and aimed her weapon. "But this is where it ends!"

Jessica and her men fired, Christie rolled to her right and hopped over several crates and started to scale several large containers and reached the top, she turned and looked down at Jessica. The trio ceased firing and the Aussie stared up at Christie.

"You really think this is over?" Jessica shouted, her voice echoing throughout the room.

Christie frowned and shook her head. "No," She yelled back. "However, you do realize how precious the information on that drive is?"

Jessica touched her pocket and gripped the USB device. _What does she mean by that?_ She thought. "Why's it so important to you?"

Christie paced back and forth for a second. "It's important, that's all you'll need to know."

"Why don't come down and show me?" Jessica asked, smirking and also trying to call her bluff.

Christie laughed manically. "You think ruining my favorite outfit it worth it?" She brushed off some dust and dirt off her jacket and pants. "I'll see you again." She blew a kiss at the blonde and slipped through an open window.

Jessica screamed and fired her gun at the window. Emptying her clip, she slammed the weapon onto the ground and looked at her last remaining men.

"Clean up the place and wake the others." Jessica ordered, she looked at the chaos left behind by her nemesis. The two nodded and quickly started to clean up everything.

Jessica walked towards crate and sat down. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the USB Drive and examined it. She immediately wondered what her associate chose not to tell her about. She knew it was footage and pictures of Maria Douglas's murder during a performance with her daughter Helena. But who was it that was behind the weapon?

She couldn't crack the encryption and it drove her insane. She immediately decided that it was time to contact the person that hired and find out what was so special about this little object. If Christie was determined to get this back, it had to be something that could destroy the British woman.

Jessica nodded her head and knew what was to be done. It was time for something else added to the agreement she made.

* * *

**Next:** The search continues and Jessica's ups the ante.

**End Notes:** I hope to produce another chapter sometime in the next few days. Be on the lookout!


	6. Know When To Pick A Fight

**Chapter 5: Know When To Pick A Fight**

**Introduction:** Here's the newest chapter! This one is fairly quick, so I figured I'd post another one. Here's an appearance by two characters mentioned in the earlier chapters, plus a surprise guest.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Somewhere in Miami**

**8:39PM**

If there was one thing Lisa Hamilton had learned, it was to never anger ninjas, especially one whose friends you experimented on and left to die. It also paid to never leave your ID card out in the open for one to take from you while you took a shower. Also, forgetting that you wrestled a grueling wrestling match almost an hour ago and tried to fight off an angry ninja was never a good idea.

Lisa found herself in that predicament. She was pressed against a wall, only wearing her purple bra and panties, a hand wrapped around her throat. The cocoa-skinned woman held the wrist of the black-clad ninja who held her. Despite the fact that his head was covered with a head-piece, and most of his face was covered with a mask, except for his green colored eyes with a slight golden hue to them, she could tell how angry he was.

"I will not ask you politely, again." Ryu Hayabusa explained to her. He glared at the woman and despite her trying to pry him away, his grip held strong.

"Where is the British woman?" He asked her in a low growl.

Lisa swallowed for some air. "I-I-I don't know. I h-haven't s-seen her since the TriTower was d-destroyed…" She managed to let out.

Ryu narrowed his eyes at the scientist/wrestler. He turned his head slightly and saw Irene 'Sonia' Lew standing only a few feet from him and near the window. She was wearing her black-and-silver waistcoat mini-dress and her knee-length black boots, gloves and knee-guards, her handgun holster was on her right thigh.

Sonia looked at him and her arms were crossed over her chest. She watched the scene before her and was feeling concerned for Ryu's self-control. He hadn't been himself these last few weeks, almost as if the bloodshed that he had committed these last few years were changing him or quite possibly wearing on the 'super ninja'.

"Ryu, I don't think she knows anything else." Sonia told him with calmness.

"She knows; she was the top DOATEC scientist. Which meant she worked with Victor Donovan." Ryu looked at her and then turned his head to look at the woman again. "And that means she knew who helped him hunt my friends and try to destroy their lives."

The last words were spoken through gritted teeth. Lisa felt beads of sweat drip down her forehead and course throughout her body. She wasn't a religious person, but she said a silent prayer that she wouldn't lose her life.

"I swear to you…" Lisa stammered out. "I know absolutely nothing about Christie. I never even met the woman…"

"LIAR!" Ryu screamed in her face. Sonia, who had seen him at his angriest during the conflict with the Archfiend, was taken aback and felt her heart beat faster.

Ryu pulled a kunai from the holder on his thigh. He turned it pushed against her heart. His eyes gave a menacing look to them.

"You will tell me where she is." Ryu said with a hardness to voice he never knew he possessed. "Or I will kill you."

"I SWEAR TO YOU!" Lisa screamed in a panic. "I DON"T KNOW ANYTHING!" She started to cry and shut her eyes tightly.

Ryu leaned forward and he studied her. He felt the rage build up inside and for the first time, made the hard decision to take an innocent's life.

"Ryu!" He ignored Sonia's call to him and continued to stare at the woman known as 'La Mariposa'.

Ryu!" Sonia called out again, she walked up to him and gently gripped his bicep. "Please, I don't think she knows anything." She said softly. "And killing her won't make the situation better."

Ryu suddenly felt himself grow calm upon hearing her words. He turned his head and looked down at her and saw the gentle look in her eyes. He loosened his grip on the woman's throat. He lowered his eyes and realized she was right, that Lisa might not know anything else.

"Sonia…" Ryu murmured as he looked up at her. He dropped his arm and pulled away his kunai. He looked at the small blade and slipped it back into the holster.

"This isn't you." Sonia whispered. She held his hand and squeezed. "Please, don't let yourself succumb to your hate."

He blinked a few times and closed his eyes, nodding his head. He held Sonia's hand and felt the soft skin. Any rage he felt had dissipated and felt peace inside.

They both heard a laugh and turned their heads to look at Lisa laughing. Ryu pulled away from Sonia and approached her.

"Foolish ninja." Lisa let out as she lifted both her feet and kicked at his stomach, which resulted in him letting go of her and taking a few steps back. Lisa landed on her elbows and hopped back up and took a fighting stance. Ryu recovered quickly and looked up and saw Sonia try to take Lisa down, but the wrestler was quicker and hit her with a low kick and a forearm that sent the platinum blonde flying to the ground.

"Too slow." Lisa said teasingly. She turned her attention to the ninja and smirked. Charging him, she lifted herself off the ground to hit a drop kick.

Ryu, however, sidestepped her and watched as she dropped to the floor. Lisa recovered and stood up and tried to hit a wheel kick, but Ryu blocked it and spun them around and threw over the bed. She slid and landed on the other side, but she quickly gathered herself and glared the ninja.

"No one beats me!" She bellowed and jumped over the bed, she then did a cartwheel and tried to use her legs to grab Ryu by the head. Suddenly, a gush of wind appeared and Lisa instead flew into a wall and landed awkwardly.

Groaning, she got up slowly and looked up and couldn't see the ninja anywhere. Immediately, she willed herself to get up and frantically looked around for the ninja. She quickly turned to her right and saw Ryu standing across from her.

Lisa gasped and received a backhand across the face by Ryu, she cried out and slammed back first against the wall and fell to the floor in a heap. Her left cheek swelled almost immediately and she coughed. As she tried to reach her hidden gun, a black boot stomped on her fingers.

"Aaaaaarrrrggggghhhh!" Lisa screamed out in pain. She looked up through tear-filled eyes and the enraged face of Sonia.

"You clearly are stupider than you look." Sonia said through gritted teeth. "Word of advice…"

Lisa tried to pull the boot away, but Sonia pressed harder. Lisa screamed again and gripped her forearm. "Damn you…" She let out through gritted teeth.

Sonia exhaled loudly. "Like I said, word of advice." She pulled her boot off and stepped back.

"Pick a better profession and know when to pick a fight too." Sonia said calmly, glaring at the woman. She remembered how humiliated the woman was after confronting Hayate and how she barely escaped from the TriTower's destruction. It took her several weeks after that to track her down and another month or so to reach this point.

"Why don't you take your advice…" Lisa began bitterly as she started to lift herself up.

Then, Sonia spun around and kicked her square in the jaw and knocked her out. The cocoa-skinned woman collapsed on the floor in a heap.

Sonia sighed and turned to face Ryu, who was now standing at the window, the balcony was behind him.

"It's time we left." Ryu told her, his arms crossed.

Sonia nodded her head and looked at the mess that the room was now. As she walked past him, she turned and pulled out her zipline and aimed upward.

"Do you have any other leads we can look into?" Ryu asked as he joined her on the balcony.

Sonia shook her head. "I'd have to grab my laptop. I'm sure theirs someone."

Ryu nodded his head and looked up. "I'll meet you up top." And in a flash, the leader of the Hayabusa Clan jumped up and reached the roof of the building.

Sonia smiled and shook her head, firing her zipline. "Couldn't even ask a lady for a ride?" She jokingly said.

Maybe he would offer next time, but for now, they had work to do.

And that was too find Christie.

* * *

**Next:** A New Plan


	7. Jessica's New Plan

**Chapter 6: Jessica's New Plan**

**Introduction:** Here's another chapter! I'm starting to feel it with this story now. Should I mention what's in this chapter? No, I think you'll figure it out quickly. Plus, can anyone guess who the mystery employer is?

Enjoy!

* * *

**Omni San Diego**

**The Next Day**

**7:01AM**

The Jimmy Carter Suite was on the 21st floor and was one of the best and most luxurious rooms in the hotel. It featured all the amenities that one would need if you wanted something as close to home as possible. The 2,200-square-foot room featured a full kitchenette, wet bar, separate dining area, a living room and a marble foyer entryway, everything someone would need when basking in a picturesque city like San Diego.

Sitting in the middle of the massive king-sized bed, was Jessica, nude, her blonde hair slightly damp from her shower, her white tank top and panties rested to her right. She had her legs crossed with her ankles crossed and sitting in front of her lap, and her hands were balled into fists, as she rested her wrists on her knees. She had spent the last 40 minutes meditating, and while she didn't often do it in the nude, she needed to have something that didn't distract her.

The cool morning breeze from the open window blew the curtains inward and helped bring a relaxed and quiet setting for her meditation. Her olive skin developed goose pimples and her light brown nipples hardened at the feeling of the cool air. She breathed deeply and felt calm and at peace.

Jessica had decided to meditate to relieve herself of the massive amount of stress she accumulated the past two days. She had struggled to get any sleep, only getting four hours worth, mostly because of her desire to know what was on the USB device and her frustration with her attempts at contacting her employer. As well as her botched attempts at eliminating Christie.

Many questions ran through mind as she continued her meditation. Why did Christie react the way she did upon seeing the USB? Why is it so important to her? What's it worth? These questions had lead her to contact her employer, however that person was taking longer than she liked. And with her patience wearing thin, she was going to have to decide soon as to what to do.

Her session was interrupted when she heard a loud beeping. Jessica slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned her head and saw that her laptop screen was flashing a video chat request. Smiling, she slipped off the bed, grabbing her clothes and tossing them onto the desk chair where her bottle of vitamin water sat. Walking over to the counter where the laptop was, she hit a few commands and inputted several codes before the screen showed a male figure dressed in a black and grey turtleneck and sitting on a reddish-brown leather chair, and though you could see the skin of his hands, the head was entirely black.

Jessica smirked, leaning forward and making sure her face and breasts were in plain view. "Took you long enough." She stared at the person on the screen and shook her head in mild disbelief, instead of using his real name, she chose to address him by his codename. "I know who you are Barron, you don't have to hide yourself."

The figure scoffed at her. "We live in a dangerous world, Tollison." The voice was muffled into a generic American accent, instead of his usual accent that Jessica had heard during her meetings with him. "You of all people should know that."

Jessica stared at him and gave a mock glare. She wished she could see the man and his reaction to her being naked. _Christie's isn't the only one who uses her sexuality and charm._ The blonde thought.

"And why aren't you dressed?" Barron asked with a mixture of amusement and distaste. He pressed his fingers together and held them in front of his face. "Was I interrupting anything?"

Jessica shook her head and crossed her arms under her breasts. "Just my meditation session. I sometimes do it in the nude."

"I see." The shadowed man leaned into his chair and rested his elbows on the armrests, his fingers still pressed together. "And that it what you called me for? To show off your body? I can find that where I live and also nothing I haven't seen before."

Jessica glared at him upon hearing the questions and the sarcastic comment. She held her resolve though and snorted. "You know exactly why I called." She retorted, though her disdain for the man that hired her wasn't hidden in her tone. The man nodded his head and waited for her to continue.

She sighed. "I finally ran into Christie." Her arms now covering her still erect nipples.

"And?" Barron now rested his hands on his lap.

Jessica hesitated for a moment. The last two days had not gone well, and Christie knew about the USB drive, and knew that the stakes were raised in this game. To tell her employer, who hated the Englishwoman, would possibly anger him or force him to end their deal.

"Well?" He let out with a low growl. He started to tap a finger on his desk.

"She's still alive." Jessica explained. She could tell by his body language that he was waiting for more. "And she knows about the drive…"

For several seconds, the two stared at one another, nothing was said, but clearly the man was taking everything in. She wished she could see his face and know what his reaction was. However, the paranoia was evident from all their dealings from before, but he could trust her.

Deciding it was best to dress, she quickly went to put on her top and panties and returned to the screen. The feed was still going and she wondered if it froze, however she heard breathing and noticed he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Are you still there?" She asked.

"Yes." Barron replied stoically. "While, I understand her being alive." He picked up a small glass and finished in one gulp. "How could you let her know about the device?"

"She knew beforehand." Jessica explained, she pulled up a chair and sat down. "Someone must have informed her, because she reacted with some surprise when I showed it to her."

"Hmmm…" Barron simply nodded his head. "She must have a contact."

"I'd assume as much." The Aussie replied as she leaned back on her chair and leaned on the armrest. "She's aware that I have information on Maria Dougla's murder."

The man nodded his head and placed his glass down off-screen after spinning it around in his fingers for a minute. "I see, but you still don't know." He stated.

Jessica squared her jaw and wrinkled her nose. "No, but I've tried to find out who it is."

"So, you've tried to crack the encryption?" Barron asked with mild amusement.

Jessica slapped her hand on the armrests. "Yes, damn you!" She spat out. "If you want my help, then you should tell me who it is!"

Barron laughed and wiped some tears with his fingers. "And why should I tell you?"

"Because if you want her dead so bad." Jessica reasoned with him and crossed her arms over her breasts. "Then the best way to do that is for me to know, so that I can force her to come to me."

He nodded his head and folded his hands in front of him and placed them on the desk. "I see your point." He replied calmly.

Jessica looked at him for a second and watched as he turned slightly to his left and heard a keyboard being typed on. He turned to face her and put his hands back together.

"The code has been sent to your laptop." He folded his hands together again. "You can now look through the device."

Jessica smiled and stood up to grab the USB drive from her jacket. Returning to the desk, she pulled it in.

"I hope you eliminate her quickly." Barron told her. "You are aware of who is hunting her as well?"

Jessica nodded her head. "Yes."

"Do not let them succeed." Barron told her with a small hint of concern.

Jessica gave him an amused look. "Worried about the ninja and his lady friend?"

Barron snorted loudly and reached forward to shut off the video chat. "Do not fail me."

And with those last words, the feed was shut off.

Jessica shook her head and chuckled. She moved her fingers over the track pad and selected the USB drive. Upon opening it, she saw the menu and noticed several reports on the murder, videos, and files, she selected one with the photos.

Clicking through them, she found the pictures she was looking for. As she highlighted and selected all of them, she felt a bit of anxiety at what she was about to discover. She had always wondered who it was that had murdered Maria and though she knew that the shot was directed at Helena, she wanted to find out the answer as to whom the sniper was.

Jessica finally reached the photo she had been looking for. Her eyes went wide went in surprise and she had to blink a few times and rub her eyes to make sure she saw who it was. She examined the photos and a small smile formed on her face.

"That's why you were so concerned about me having this information." Jessica said to herself out loud. She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest and her smile grew wider. It was Christie who had fired the bullet to kill Maria, even if her original intent was Helena. She realized how much use this would be to the CIA, especially that ninja's girlfriend.

"My dear Christie," She said with a malicious tone, "you have no idea how much power and control I have over this situation now."

She laughed manically and slapped her hands together. She finally had Christie where she wanted her and now it was time to up the ante.

Jessica leaned forward and began pulling up her GPS system on her laptop; she knew where Christie was. And she decided that she would pay her a visit.

"Time to show her how unsafe her safe house is." Jessica jokingly said to herself.

* * *

**Next:** The Stakes Are Raised


	8. The Message

**Chapter 7: The Message**

**Introduction:** Now that Jessica knows. What will she do to Christie? And how far will the British woman be pushed? These questions are answered in this chapter.

I apologize for the lengthy wait between chapters. I've felt pretty uninspired recently, but feel a resurgence of creativity and desire to write again. It's worth mentioning that this chapter started off as a simple deal, but quickly took a life of it's own and expanded into what you are all about to read.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Christie's Safe House**

**8:21AM**

The steam enveloped Christie's nude body as she stood underneath the massive showerhead above her. The hot water cascaded down her lithe form, pressing her left hand against the glass door, she gently ran her hands up and down her body before letting her right arm hang loosely on her side.

She sighed as she felt the water drench her white hair; streams of water slid down her body and dripped down her breasts and many drops dripped of her hard nipples. Some of the streams slide down her belly and between her legs. The British woman stood up and tilted her head back to let the water slam her face.

She had spent the last several minutes showering and had already washed her hair and body. Now, she was trying to enjoy her shower and the relief that it provided. She had spent all of yesterday after her encounter with Jessica trying to chart a plan of action to get the USB Drive from her. However, she wasn't sure what the best course of action was. And she had no clue as to how big her personal army was.

She had chosen not to contact Kent for help, realizing she had asked enough of him already. While she never cared what would happen to people she knew, Kent was the lone exception. She feared what would happen to him if he got involved and would not risk seeing him die because of her mistakes or lack of focus.

_I can't risk involving him anymore…_ Christie thought with a small amount of sadness.

Sighing loudly again, Christie ran her hands over her breasts and lifted them and gently let them go and bounce. Picking her nipples, she slowly ran her left hand over her firm and muscled stomach and circled her naval. She guided her left hand down and placed two fingers over her folds and gently stroked.

_I can't have a continued relationship with him. But…_ Christie thought as she rubbed her breasts and her womanhood. Her breathing became a little labored as she thought about him and her in bed.

Christie envisioned them together in bed, but couldn't see past that. She had chosen to never cross that line into full-blown intimacy in a physical sense, but it did cross her mind and she often wondered if pursuing a romantic relationship with him would compromise her job as an assassin. She was well aware that she was a cold-blooded woman, but for some reason she let the man break some of her barriers. And for the briefest of moments when they spoke, she felt like a normal person.

She then stopped her hands and opened her eyes. She shook her head and a sad look developed on her face. _It's time to tell him that we should go our separate ways._

Reaching over, she turned the knob and shut the water off. Christie opened the glass door and stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly with a towel. Walking out of the shower room, she padded to the kitchen and opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange-pineapple juice and drank half the contents.

_I have to find Jessica, but where can she possible be?_ She thought again as she watched the clear blue skies.

Standing in front of the window, she felt the warm rays of light on her bare skin; she didn't care in the slightest that the blinds were open and the possibility of someone seeing her in the nude. Wiping her lips with a napkin, she tossed the carton back inside and padded to her bedroom, walking past the dojo with the door still open from last nights practice session.

Combing through her closet and drawers, she slipped on a dark blue bra and matching thong. She then grabbed black tank top and a pair of blue jeans, slipping them on; she grabbed her a black leather jacket and slipped it on and started to head out. She decided that a small breakfast at a café would help ease her mind. Picking up her phone and laptop, she stuffed them into a medium-sized messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder and exited her safe house.

Walking down the stairs to her bike, she grabbed her helmet and zippered her jacket up, punching a few codes on her console, she looked back and watched as the garage door opened and she backed out slowly. Hitting the ignition, she slipped her helmet on and felt the power of the engine underneath her.

After closing her gate, she kicked the kickstand off and quickly did a 180 and sped down the street and towards the downtown area. As she moved along at high speeds, she missed the red corvette that had stayed hidden in an alley. The powerful and sleek car came to life and turned in the direction that Christie came from. The corvette stopped directly in front of the safe house, and the driver's side door opened and a pair of black heels came out.

"Not so safe is it, Christie?"

* * *

**10:02AM**

Upon leaving the café, Christie walked towards her bike and made sure she had everything. She spent a few minutes riding around the city before reaching her destination. During the entire time, she felt a small sense of guilt at how she didn't let Kent know her conflicted feelings. As she hopped on her bike she decided it was best to head home. She realized that it might be best to contact him and see if he could find something, anything about Jessica that she could use to blackmail her. And tried to push aside her desire to let him know how she felt about him. Christie started to ride back to her safe house.

As got closer, she did something totally unexpected and spoke into her helmet. "Contact Kent."

She saw a small screen crop up and watched as a dial tone appeared. The ringing went on for a few seconds before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Kent, it's me." She replied calmly.

"Christie?" Kent replied with some surprise. "Why are you calling this early?"

She hesitated for a brief moment, she didn't know whether to ask about anymore information on Jessica or to talk to him as a normal person. She was a cold and calculating woman, with little to no emotional attachment to anyone or anything. But he was the only person in her life that actually could talk to her and help her to open up.

"Christie?" He asked with some concern.

"…." Came her only reply.

"Is something wrong?" He asked again, she could tell how genuine he was in his concern for her sudden hesitancy.

"I wanted to talk to you about something…" Came her response, she swore she could hear how nervous she was.

She heard a small pause and a deep sigh. Christie immediately wondered if he had dropped his phone or was contemplating hanging up.

"Kent…?" She hoped she didn't sound desperate for an answer.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Kent asked, she swore he might have looked relived it was something different for a change.

"I…" She was about to begin, but screeched to a halt and let out a small gasp. Upon stopping she stood on the bike with a foot for balance and flipped her visor up.

Despite nearly a few yards from the building, she noticed that something was amiss. Her garage door was left slightly ajar; it wasn't that way when she left.

"Christie?" Kent asked.

She hit the kickstand and shut her bike off. Slipping her helmet off, she got off her bike and immediately went to the seat and turned a switch and lifted the cushion up. She pulled out a Glock and made sure it was loaded. She could hear Kent calling for her, but she ignored it. Picking up an earpiece, she wrapped it around her right ear and pressed one of the buttons on the device to sync with her phone. The voice of Kent was loud and clear in her ear.

Opening her jacket, she put the gun in her pocket and carefully walked over to the garage door and examined it. She narrowed her eyes and knew that someone had been here while she was gone. She bent down and lifted the gate open with a small grunt. She lifted her gun up and pointed, she saw nothing and slowly climbed up the stairs.

"Christie?" Kent yelled over the line. "What the hell's going on?"

"Kent…" Christie said quietly. She exhaled and as she approached the door, she noticed that the console on the wall had a large hole in the middle, a few small sparks still lit up from the unit.

"Someone was here." The white-haired assassin pulled her gun out from her pocket and flipped the safety off, turned on the laser sight and cocked the gun. She leaned against the door and listened for any movement.

"What?" He asked with surprise, though he was whispering to maintain as much silence for her as possible. "Who? While you were gone?"

The assassin nodded her head. "Yes." She kept a firm grip on the gun with both hands and lowered it to her hip; she then reared back and kicked the metal door in. The door flew to the left and she quickly stepped inside and checked if it was clear.

Her eyes darted from one corner of the room to the other and noticed that nothing was out of the ordinary. She slowly stepped forward and turned down the hallway to her bedroom and aimed the barrel of the gun down the short hall. Walking slowly, she turned and looked in her shower room on the right and saw nothing, she carefully proceeded towards her bedroom door and opened it slowly.

The only sounds emanating were of her quiet breathing and the creak of the wood against the floor and wall. As she pushed the door open, she aimed her gun at her bed and closet and saw nothing pop out. She exhaled for a moment and then quickly walked out.

"Anything?" Her longtime associate asked quietly.

The assassin shook her head. "No." Upon entering her living room she made sure to check for any signs of alterations. She caught nothing out of the ordinary, but given her line of work, you could never be too careful.

She then turned and made sure to check her small dojo. Her eyes went wide as she saw that the door was now closed. She remembered it wasn't that way when she left and more often than not would leave it open. She carefully pulled out her knife from the holster on bootstrap and turned it so the blade faced downward, lifting her hand up, she aimed the blade forward and with the gun still in her right hand, placed her wrist on top of the other.

"But the door to my dojo wasn't closed earlier." She quietly explained. She approached the door and examined it, it was closed and she knew that something or someone was behind it. She carefully slipped the gun into her jacket and took a small step back.

"Keep quiet, Kent." She ordered.

Reaching out she grabbed the knob and turned it very slowly. She heard the small click of the lock turning and pushed it open until she could see a sliver of the room. She then pulled her gun out and steeled herself for what was to come.

Christie then lifted her foot and kicked the door in and immediately lowered her weapons. The only thing she saw was that her side table was moved from the far wall and was now in the middle of the room. On it rested a laptop with a folded piece of paper.

She lifted her weapons up and slowly approached the table, her eyes scanning the room for anything else, but the only thing she saw was her reflection from the mirrors and the windows to her left was slammed shut with the curtains moved to the side.

"Did you find anything?" Kent asked, he couldn't stand the silence anymore and had to make sure nothing had happened.

Lowering her knife, she placed her gun in her jacket and slipped her blade into her bootstrap holster. She licked her lips and stared at the laptop.

"It's a laptop and a note." She replied in a monotone voice. She picked up the white object and looked at the writing that was on it. Instantly, she knew that it was the handwriting of Jessica. She quickly turned her head back to the doorway too make sure no one was behind her.

"Who left it there?" Kent asked.

"Jessica…" She let the Australian's name linger on her tongue for a bit. She had no clue has to how the woman had found her safe house or how she was able to even track her location. She flipped open the note and read the writing.

_Open it. It's not wired. Love, Jessica_

"Apparently, it's not booby-trapped." She said aloud, she grimaced at the word 'love' from her nemesis.

"It's Jessica though." Kent explained; he was trying to talk her out of opening the laptop. "She is trying to kill you."

Christie nodded her head and tossed the note onto the floor. "If she wanted me dead, I would be right now." She carefully placed both hands on the massive computer and lifted the monitor up.

As she pulled her hands away after lifting it, she watched as the screen came to life. It was dark at first, but text suddenly appeared on the screen. Christie watched with her steel gray eyes as the words appeared.

"What's going on?" She heard her longtime contact ask her again.

"It's a message." She stated indifferently.

"What?"

She leaned forward and read it aloud. "Hit the 'shift' key, then 't', then r,u,t,h keys."

"Truth?" Kent stated with disbelief. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Quiet, Anderson." Christie ordered through gritted teeth. She started to type the word out and watched as the screen quickly turned blue. A few seconds later the image of Jessica appeared, wearing a collared shirt and a jacket, Christie immediately sneered at the woman.

"Jessica!" Christie said angrily. "How the…"

"Christie, if you're watching this, and I know you are." Jessica said sarcastically. "Don't bother trying to track where I am or any other bright ideas."

"Christie?" Kent asked upon hearing the voice of Jessica.

"It's a recording…" Christie responded, she leaned forward and rested both hands on opposite sides of the small table. Focusing on the screen, she listened intently at what Jessica was going to tell her.

"If you're wondering how I found your little hiding place." Jessica began; she lifted her tracking device up with one hand. "Do you remember the ball?"

Christie let a curious look crop up. She remembered a few nights ago when Jessica was too close for comfort. But she wasn't quite sure what she was implying. Then she remembered that Jessica was like her, she could move swiftly and without letting anyone feel her touch when working in close proximity with their target.

"I'm guessing you have no idea as to what it is?" Jessica said, she paused and motioned for her to check her left arm. "Check your arm."

Christie raised an eyebrow and slipped her jacket off on the left side. She examined her arm and looked for anything strange. She looked back at Jessica and watched as the woman simply smiled at her.

The assassin looked closer and then saw a small line on her elbow. She lifted her right hand and carefully dug her nail under the line and pulled it off. She then flipped it over and saw a small chip, which was no more than the size of the smallest memory stick for digital cameras. The patch on the device also turned white. Christie quickly deduced that it blended with her skin color after it was attached to her, like a chameleon would in their environment.

"What did she do?" Kent's voice cropped up from her earpiece.

"She attached a small tracer without my knowledge. I never felt it, nor noticed it until now." Christie said with a hint of annoyance at her failure to check for anything on her body after escaping the ship. She crushed the small device with her fingers and let the pieces fall to the floor.

"I'm guessing you've found the device on your arm." Jessica elaborated. "That's how I was able to find you at the docks yesterday." Her lips formed an arrogant smirk. "And how I found your little hole in the wall."

She moved her tracking device from the screen and shook her head and gave the white-haired woman a look of disdain. Christie had slipped her jacket back on and narrowed her eyes.

"I've always wondered when you would slip up and how." Jessica continued, a small smile forming on her red lips. "I just didn't think you would let yourself get caught like that."

Christie felt her heart beat faster and a sense of dread developed within. She knew right away where this was headed.

"I mean, how could someone has perfect as you." Jessica went on, she looked down for a brief moment and tried to stifle a laugh. Looking up after her rubbing her eyes, a look of disappointment cropped up on her face.

"Kill the wrong person?" She let out. "I know that she threw herself to protect her only daughter. But you still had a chance to kill both of them."

Christie pursed her lips and pulled her hands away and balled her fists.

Jessica shook her head. "You killed Maria and not Helena and then you tried again during the tournaments and failed both times."

"Damn you…" Christie whispered, her anger boiling up inside her.

"I owe my employer a lot for providing me with this information." Jessica said, she lifted the USB Drive and examined it before looking into the camera again. "Now that I know it was you who fired the bullet that killed Maria. I can only imagine how much I can get from the CIA or whoever needs this evidence."

Jessica started to laugh manically. Christie's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared up, she almost pulled her gun out to fire at the screen, but stopped when she knew it would ruin any chance at finding out what Jessica's plans were.

Jessica stopped laughing and frowned. "Christie, you should have done this the easy way." She wiped a few tears from her eyes. "You know, I have my own contacts as well."

Christie took a step back and looked down at the floor. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth as she listened to Jessica.

"I want you to know that by the time you're finished watching this." She lifted her phone up and it showed a digital place ticket. "I'll be out of the country."

"And you won't be able to stop me from delivering this information to the people of my choosing." Jessica shook her head and a look of pity developed.

"I'm already working on contacting that ninja and his friend." Jessica revealed with a hint of pride in her voice.

Christie's eyes opened wide and she held back a gasp. She slowly lifted her head up too look back at the screen.

"What I'm doing to you will destroy everything you've accomplished." Jessica spoke with confidence in what she was doing to the Brit. "A monument to your failure."

"DAMN YOU!" Christie roared, she pulled her gun out and aimed dead center between Jessica's eyes. However, she hesitated to pull the trigger and felt her hand shake.

The Australian laughed manically and threw her head back. Christie watched with hate in her eyes and a burning desire to kill the woman for attempting to destroy her and everything she had worked for. After a minute, Jessica calmed down and grinned evilly.

The screen then went black. Christie then moved forward and started typing on the keys to try and bring the screen back to life. She started pounding even harder and almost slammed her fist onto the keyboard. She then dropped her head and started to breath deeply.

"Christie…" Kent's voice broke the silence that felt like it lasted forever.

She opened her eyes, but still kept her head down. "What?" She said with no emotion.

"You have to stop her." He answered stoically.

Christie continued to look at the ground. "I know."

She could hear him breathe loudly and coughed for a moment. "Christie, I think…"

They were interrupted by a small beeping from the laptop. Christie looked up and noticed another message crop up. This time the message said: _Type 'gift'_.

Without hesitating she typed the word and after a few seconds, Jessica appeared again, but the background was different. She was sitting on a black leather chair and Christie could hear an engine in the background.

"Jessica." Christie said with an icy tone.

"So you got my message." Jessica said with a smile.

"I did." Christie said, she glared at the woman and wanted to reach through the screen and gouge the woman's cold blue eyes out.

"Good." She lifted a glass and drank from it, she moaned with delight at the taste of her drink.

"I will stop you." Christie interrupted; she narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

"Really?" Jessica replied incredulously, she then delivered a cocky smile. "I'd like to see you try."

"I will." Was all the Brit would say in response.

Jessica nodded her head and leaned back in her chair. "I'd like to see that, however…" She lifted the USB Device again and twirled it in her fingers.

"What I'm doing to you and what will result from it will be a monument to your failure." Jessica repeated her words, but in a more boastful tone.

"And," Jessica continued, she turned her head and lifted up her phone. "Since it's too late for you to stop me." She pressed a button on the touchscreen.

Christie heard a loud beeping and she pulled back. She looked around and tried to listen as to where it was coming from.

"What the hell is that?" Kent exclaimed in shock.

Christie finally caught where the noise was coming from. She turned her head and looked outside to her living area and realized that it might be what she thought it was. She turned her head back to the screen and looked at Jessica.

"A bomb…." Christie replied in a whisper.

"I set up something very nice for you." An evil look appeared on her face and her lips curved into a devilish grin. "It was nice knowing you." Jessica said sarcastically.

"I wish we could have had a more intimate relationship." The woman said with some regret. "But, we are femme fatales after all."

Jessica smiled once again and the waved at Christie. "Goodbye. Parting is such sweet sorrow."

The screen went dark and the laptop started to burn up. Christie stepped back and ran outside the room. She focused on hearing where the beeping came from. She looked in her living area and then her kitchen. The white-haired assassin then turned her head to the wall that separated her dojo and living room and saw a large object on it.

She rushed over and examined it. She looked at the small screen and saw the timer.

"Bloody hell." Christie said.

"What?" Kent yelled.

"Twenty seconds." Christie said, she then rushed to the kitchen and aimed for the window.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Kent screamed in horror.

Christie ran quickly, and pulled her gun out, she fired several rounds at the window then threw it to the ground. Then the beeping stopped and she turned around and her eyes went wide.

"Shit." She whispered, she watched as the screen flashed and one more beeping emitted from the device.

Christie covered her face with her arms, the bomb exploded and she was sent flying out her window, the glass shattered as she flew outside. The British woman tried to twist her body so that she landed with as little force as possible, but the fall from the second floor to the ground was short. She slammed onto her back as she landed on the concrete with a loud thud and a small amount of debris crashed onto her.

"CHRISTIE?" Kent shouted again in desperation.

The assassin fought to stay conscious and groaned in pain as she writhed on the hard surface. A loud ringing was in her ears, but it was slowly dissipating, though she could feel a headache forming. She moved her head side-to-side and felt her earpiece slide off.

"Damn it! Answer me!" Kent shouted one more time; his voice was coming from the phone's speakers.

Christie slowly moved to her left and lifted herself up. She opened her eyes and her vision was blurred, but slowly returned as she looked at her hands and shook her head. and rubbed her head and felt relieved that she felt no bumps, cuts or any blood. Christie looked down at herself and saw that her jeans were slightly burnt, ripped and torn; her right knee had a small scrape from where it was ripped open. Her left thigh also had a large rip also. She looked down at her jacket and saw several tears and burns as well, her top was also burnt off at the midriff, her left shoulder on her jacket was ripped open and she saw her bare skin.

Christie slowly got up, but stumbled as she tried to stand. She leaned against a wall for support and looked up at her safe house. She saw a massive hole from outside and smoke coming out. She groaned in pain again and gritted her teeth as she started to gingerly move forward.

"Christie, please are you there…." Kent said again, fear for her safety evident in his voice. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and gently pressed it to her ear.

"I-I-I'm here, Kent…" Christie said between coughs, she slowly walked around the building until she reached the garage.

"Thank god." Kent said with relief. "I thought you were dead…"

She smirked and chuckled painfully. "It'll t-take m-more than that to f-f-finish me…"

As she walked into the garage, Christie slammed against the wall and held her side. Dropping her arm that held her phone and grimacing for a moment before slowly climbing the stairs.

After a small amount of struggle, she finally reached the top of the staircase and looked around her living room. The wall to her dojo now had a large gaping hole with the circle charred black around it, a few small fires were at the bottom, but nothing too dangerous. She turned her head and saw that her kitchen was charred and debris and broken glass was everywhere. Her refrigerator was lying on its side and the contents had spilled out on the floor Amazingly, her TV and glass table were still intact and most of her couch was still in one piece. She smiled at the strange irony in that.

Christie slowly felt her body recover and was able to stand up straight. She looked through the remainder of her safe house and walked towards her bathroom.

Upon entering she turned the lights on and stripped her jacket off and headed towards the sink. She placed her phone on the counter next to her and turned the sink on to wash her face and her arms, knee and legs. After another moment of silence, Kent finally spoke, as she was finishing up.

"That bomb should have killed you." Kent stated matter-of-factly. She had placed both hands on the edges of the sink and gripped.

Christie looked up at her now cracked mirror and saw her reflection. She knew that if Jessica wanted her dead, the blonde would have used a more powerful explosive.

"But she didn't." Kent mused, she could tell that he was stating the obvious, but at the moment she could careless.

"It's as if Jessica wanted you to know about the bomb and wanted you to escape." He intoned.

"She wanted me to live." Christie finally let out, she wondered if there was any irony in that.

"But why?" Her longtime associate asked slightly confused.

Christie pulled away from the sink and a look of determination developed on her face. She picked her iPhone up and headed for her bedoom.

"She wants me to come after her and try to stop her." She answered, she walked over and went to her closet and pulled out a mid-size duffel bag and tossed it onto her bed.

"And you're going to, right?" Kent asked, he knew the answer, but felt compelled to ask.

She nodded her head and looked outside her window. "Yes."

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?" He asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.

"No." She looked through her wardrobe and paused. "Is my deposit box still where I placed it?"

She heard him sigh over the line. "Yes." She could hear him typing on a keyboard. "I'm assuming you'll come here first?"

"Yes." Christie said as she pulled out her favorite black jacket and pants with the blue flames. "I still have a private jet from DOATEC, I should arrive within the next two hours."

"I'll make it's ready for you." Kent told her, though she could he didn't sound happy about any of this.

"Good." She tossed the two items of clothes onto the bed and then rummaged for her black pants with red flames and her one strap crop top with the zombie motif. "I'm leaving for Australia the next morning."

"You realize that she has allies down there too, right?" Kent explained, he was trying to reason with her, but knew that she had gone into another mental state given the past several minutes. "It won't be easy."

"That's fine," She smirked with confidence and tossed her other clothes onto the bed. She then stripped off her ruined ones, until she was nude again. The white-haired assassin then stood in front her full-length mirror and looked over her body and saw no noticeable damage to her perfect skin. She then went to her lingerie drawers and dug out a pair of red bra and a thong. "I like a good challenge."

"And what will you do when you get there?" He asked one more time.

Christie smirked and looked in the mirror and saw not just her own smirk, but also the fire in her eyes. She licked her lips and looked at her hands, realizing she hadn't had the blood of a person of importance coating them in a long while. The man she killed at the strip joint was so long ago, that she forgot what it felt to kill for pleasure.

"Christie?"

The British woman smiled. "Get the information from her."

"And?" Kent asked, he knew what his employer was going to do, but wanted to hear it from her mouth.

Christie watched as her face developed a devilish and almost seductive look.

"I'll finally end the life of that bitch."

* * *

**Next:** Arrangments!


	9. What Is Necessary

**Chapter 8: What Is Necessary…**

**Introduction:** Apologies for the rather long wait. But I'm slowly getting back into the writing game. Here's a new chapter. I plan to finish this before Dead or Alive 5 comes out on Sept. 25th. Which, in a sense, means that it'll be slow going at times for updates.

With that out of the way.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Somewhere in the United States…**

Irene Lew sat at her desk and searched through the various databases on the whereabouts of their target. She leaned back and slowly clicked through various leads and possible places that Christie could be. As she kept her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop, Irene felt someone approach behind her and she looked up as she saw Ryu, still in his black outfit but with the cowl and mouthpiece off.

He issued a small smile and she looked down to see two steaming cups. She quickly deduced that it was green tea.

"Would you like something to drink?" Ryu asked politely.

The platinum blonde smiled as she reached up to grab one of the cups. Upon receiving the much needed beverage, she blew on it and took a small sip. She shut her eyes and savored the hot liquid and the almost therapeutic sensations that coursed throughout her body.

Looking up, she looked at the calm expression of Ryu. She was mesmerized by how handsome he was and how those piercing green eyes of his could give you a deadly stare, but also be so kind and gentle.

"Thank you." Irene told him, making sure she kept good manners with the ninja.

"Your welcome." Nodding his head, he walked over and pulled a chair and sat across from her. He held his cup with both hands and observed the contents closely as if he was seeing something inside the green liquid.

Irene tilted her head a little and simply watched as Ryu sat quietly and looked so peaceful and at ease with the world around him. She felt it would be rude of her to interrupt him from his deep thoughts, but also felt that she could sit and watch him all day and night in this state.

She smiled inwardly at how much she cared for him and was concerned for his safety. While he was the most courageous and strongest man she knew, he was still young like her and so much of the world was ahead of him. The young CIA agent was incredibly relived when she was given the green light to continue to work with him. While she definitely would have liked to spend some leisure time with him, she understood that he was determined to find the British assassin. Though she still wasn't quite sure what he would do when he found her. Would he kill her? Dish out a violent beating? Arrest her and turn her in?

Multiple questions ran through her head, and she wanted to ask him what he would do to her. She knew he wasn't a cold-blooded killer, but in life, you never knew a person until you saw them at their best or worst. And she wondered if there was a middle ground with him, a shade of gray perhaps.

Lost in thought, she noticed that Ryu was opening his mouth and speaking to her. She quickly shook herself from her trance-like state and opened her ears to him.

"…found anything yet?" Ryu finished. He had been speaking to her for almost two minutes and had not received a reply.

"Huh?" Irene shook herself and stared at Ryu. His brow was raised in slight confusion at her distracted look.

"Have you found anything yet?" Ryu asked again.

Irene turned her head back at the computer and did a quick scan of the screen. Turning to look back, she shook her head and pursed her lips.

Nodding his heading in response, Ryu took another sip from his cup and leaned back into his chair while closing his eyes for a brief moment. Irene simply watched as she waited for him to say something else.

"Can I ask you something?" Irene asked without any hint of hesitation.

Ryu opened his eyes and looked at her with a blank stare. Too her, it seemed as if he was disinterested in talking too her, but in truth, he had been very intense over the course of the last several days. She wondered what was bothering him; was it the responsibility of being the wielder of the Dragon Sword? Being the leader of his clan? Or was it something darker? Though of respect for his privacy, she had chosen not to ask.

"Yes, you can." The ninja replied without any hint of surprise.

"You never really explained why you're after Christie." Irene said to him, deciding it was best too cut to the chase with Ryu.

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and much to the surprise of the CIA agent she felt no tension between them. It was as if he knew she would ask him this very question at some point. She felt somewhat relieved, but also regretted in some small way that she asked.

"You know that she caused harm to several important people." Ryu stated with little conviction. "And came close to destroying the lives of three of friends."

Irene nodded her head in response and placed her cup on the desk. She leaned her head back and felt the soft fabric of the cushion press against her soft hair. Those friends that Ryu mentioned were Hayate, Kasumi and Ayane and all of them had suffered during the conflict with DOATEC.

It had been a whirlwind of sorts after she was brought in to assist. While they were able to save Kasumi and find Hayate and restore his memories, Irene knew that some of what happened was traumatic to the Mugen Tenshin ninja clan. However, not all of it was the British woman's fault, many of it was Victor Donovan, Tengu and Lisa Hamilton's devious schemes and malicious intentions.

However, Tengu was slain by Ryu, Donovan had disappeared and Lisa was now lying low after her encounter with her and Ryu. But his stubbornness in attempting to find the Englishwoman was surprising in some ways.

"I know." Irene replied softly as she made a circles on the black desk with her fingers. "But she wasn't behind all of what had happened."

"I'm aware of that." The ninja said as he stood up and placed his cup on the small table that was against the far wall of the hotel room they were holed up in. He kept his back to her as he continued. "But she manipulated Kasumi into participating in the first tournament, and she kidnapped you and tried to kill you."

Irene had turned her chair and stood up and looked at the man she had fallen for such a short time ago. Christie had only used her as bait and didn't even attempt to kill her. But she knew it upset him all the same.

"But she didn't." Irene began to explain and try to rationalize with him. "She needed to keep you away from Genra and she accomplished her task." She slowly approached him. "Remember, Hayate and Ayane had defeated him that night without you. And I was safe in the end."

Ryu stood stiff as a board. She noticed that he gently gripped the table, but she knew he was thinking about something, what it was, she didn't know. Clearly, he was going to do what was necessary and it didn't matter whether she reasoned with him or not.

But she had to ask one important thing. Even if she knew it might not have been her place to ask.

"Ryu," Irene had lifted her hand up and gently gripped his forearm. She noticed him turn his head to look at her. She tried not to smile when she witnessed the gentle look in his eyes. He always had this calming affect on people, almost as if he was a poet.

"If you want to continue to do this." Irene told him. She looked down at her black boots and bit her lip, but quickly steeled herself.

Looking up, she delivered a confident look. "I need to know what you plan to do once you find her."

Ryu stared at her and moved his eyes downward for a brief moment. He knew she would ask this question, but he had hoped she wouldn't. The reality though was that this was inevitable and he couldn't avoid this no matter how much he would like to have.

Ryu looked at her directly in the eyes and gave his response. "It depends on how she responds." Irene raised an eyebrow and waited for him to elaborate. "She can either walk away from her profession or…"

"Or?" Irene asked point blank.

"She can either live or die." Ryu said darkly.

The platinum blonde nodded her head in response and tried to hide her sadness and disappointment. It was clear Ryu wasn't afraid to do what was necessary, but somehow she had hoped he would capture her and help turn her in. When it came to seeking revenge though, any and all options were open to be utilized. But she also knew that Ryu wasn't himself for awhile now and she was growing concerned with his temperament and almost volatile behavior.

Before she could reply, her computer had loud ping. Both turned their heads to look at the screen, which flashed something of importance. Irene walked over and leaned down to look at the screen. Ryu walked to her side and watched as she typed and moved the mouse pad to open another screen.

"What is it?" Ryu asked with curiosity.

Irene's eyes went wide with surprise at what she was reading. She turned to look up at Ryu and a look of shock was on her face.

"Someone has information on an important investigation for the CIA." Irene told him in disbelief.

"What type of information?"

Irene looked at the screen again. Blinking a few times to make sure she was reading it correctly.

"It's information on the murder of Helena Douglas." Irene replied. "The CIA is asking me to pursue this."

Ryu folded his arms over his broad chest. He nodded his head and a look of interest flashed across his face.

"Where will this information be?" He asked, now interested in this new bit of information.

Irene smiled and sat down. She started to type and Ryu watched as another message popped up. After another moment, she stood up and looked at him.

"Ever been to Australia?" Irene asked with a sly smile.

* * *

**Next:** Someday….

**Special Author's Note:** A simple request. If you do review: please, please, please leave a more detailed one. I have decided that I will delete any reviews that simply say 'more please' and 'continue please' and 'good chapter, more please' and any other junk.

This process of deletion is something that will be done going forward. I don't want anyone reviewing my stories if they have nothing to constructive to say. If the above upsets any of you then you should blame yourselves and your laziness. All of my stories that are updated going forward or any new ones will end with this message at the end.


	10. Going Our Separate Ways

**Chapter 9: Going Our Separate Ways**

**Introduction:** Apologies for the wait. Laziness and lack of desire hit me. A very out of character chapter here, but this is a necessary part of the story.

Enjoy!

* * *

**San Jose, CA**

**4:11PM**

They were sitting at a café at one of the most popular spots in the city. Many people were milling about and it was jovial atmosphere. It was as if everyone had not a care in the world.

Kent sat and stared at his iPad screen and studied all of the events going on in the world; tapping and swiping through different menus and various screens. So much had gone on over the years and he often wondered if life was like dog years. That so many things changed faster and moved faster. That you had to keep pace with the changes or you would be lost. He picked up his Pepsi and took a long sip before placing back down on the glass table.

Adjusting his glasses, he looked up and stared Christie who sat across from him, she was reading a hardback that she procured at the San Diego airport; he noticed it was about undercover work and it looked to be a large book. Directly to her left was a large glass of red wine and her small wallet. He noticed her choice of wear, a black tank top with thin straps that showcased her ample cleavage, a pair of Victoria's Secret grey cotton shorts and white and red sneakers with ankle socks completed her casual attire. Her sunglasses were slipped in-between the middle of her tank top and she had only the smallest amount of make-up.

Her clothes seemed out of place for her character, however, she was traveling incognito in her mind and also had more pressing matters too attend to. Then again, he wore a t-shirt with a DC Comics logo on it surrounded by the three most popular characters and a pair of jeans with black, white and grey sneakers. Who was he to be critical?

Kent did notice her look of calm and that cool demeanor she had when he picked her up from the airport two and a half hours ago. He took her to the Marriot and let her check-in for the night before taking her to a public storage facility and helping her retrieve the equipment necessary for her trip to Australia. She had stored a new outfit that she had been planning to wear for sometime and she felt it was time for a change. She asked his opinion of it and he told her with a smile that it looked perfect for her.

Afterwards, they went shopping at the mall across the street and they decided to have an early dinner together and found themselves sitting in a public area. No one seemed to notice or care that he was with quite possibly one of the most gorgeous woman in the whole city, if not the world.

"Do you have something to ask me?" Christie queried not looking up from her book.

Kent shook himself from his thoughts, and gently placed his glass back onto the coaster. He stared at the 25-year-old for a second and wondered if he should say anything, given their working relationship or whatever it was that they had.

"Well?" Christie asked again, lifting her eyes from the book and giving him a small smirk.

He sighed before finally answering. "I know you're not going to like me telling you this…"

He paused, resting his elbow on the metal armrest and rubbing the bare skin of his chin with his right. Looking up, he noticed that Christie had placed a bookmark on her page and rested the closed book on her lap, resting her clasped hands on top of it. She gave him a curious glance and tilted her head to the left, letting some of her white hair touch her cheek.

"Tell me what?" She asked in that British accent that could melt a man's heart, maybe even a woman's.

He let out a louder and longer sigh, he knew this conversation would happen at some point, it was now or never.

"I think you're taking a big risk following Jessica to Australia." Kent answered, cutting to the chase. "This is exactly what she wants, what she's been wanting all along. She's setting you up.

Christie stared at her longtime associate for a few moments, during this, she leaned back and crossed her arms under her breasts, taking in what he just said. The British woman was well aware of what she was about to do and how this was all meant to expose the truth of who murdered Maria Douglas. Yet, at this stage of game, she had little to no concern about risks or consequences. Lowering her eyes, she stared at the wine glass that was still two-thirds full.

Not waiting for her to respond, Kent continued. "I understand that you'll always do what is necessary to eliminate your targets. That when all is said and done," He took a deep breath, "You're a cold-blooded and heartless killer. That will never change with you. No matter how much you've opened up too me these last two and a half years and let me in."

Christie looked up at him upon hearing those last words. She gave him a blank stare and let it sink for a moment. Picking up her wine glass with her right hand, she took a quick sip and then twirled the glass around slowly watching the red liquid move in circles. She blinked a few times before finally responding.

"Then why are you helping me chase after her?" She asked softly, much to her own surprise and his, judging from his eyes opening wider for a few seconds. She meant for it to be serious and a come out a bit dark, but something inside changed how she said it aloud.

Kent blinked and took his glasses off to rub his eyes. He looked at her without them for a second before slipping them back on. He thought about why he was helping her instead of turning her in or severing their ties He leaned back in his chair and heard the metal legs grind against the concrete for a brief second. Resting his left hand on the table, he rested his right elbow on the armrest and decided to answer her question with the truth.

"I'm helping you because it's the right thing to do. Not because of our relationship." He explained to her slowly, trying to choose his words carefully. "I'm not going to allow someone to destroy you." He turned his head and watched some cars drive down the street at slow speeds, he sighed loudly wondering if this was the right thing to do and tell her how he really felt about her line of work.

"Even If I don't agree with the path you've chosen or how cold, sadistic, callous and how much of sociopath you are." He told her in a harsh tone, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked directly at her. He couldn't help but notice a small smirk form on her impossibly beautiful face. Yet, he could tell by her eyes that she was trying to hold back some emotion.

He continued to speak, letting himself pour out more of how he really felt. "Even you deserve someone to be a real ally." He paused and swallowed; about to say something he never thought he would tell her. "Even a friend."

Christie's suppressed a small gasp upon hearing the word 'friend'. She shut her eyes and lowered her chin, she wasn't sure whether to feel shame, regret or sadness at letting Kent speak like this to her. In all her years, she never had friends and always used people to her advantage. In every circumstance, if they weren't worth being her toy anymore, she would shove them aside like broken trinkets or use threats and her She Quan skills to terrify and push people away.

But with Kent it was different. He didn't find her the least bit threatening to him. In many ways, he liked how cold she was to him, how she would blow off his advances, it made him want too get to know her on a more personal level. That working with her and being her trusted source for information and intelligence on her targets wasn't just what he wanted between them.

She felt a deep swell of guilt growing within and wondered if she was missing out on having some happiness in her lonely and bitter life. Sadly, Christie knew it was too late to go back, that she had chosen to go down this path of manipulation, violence, seduction, death and the empowerment it rewarded her.

The British woman looked up at her longtime associate, or was it friend? And pursed her lips in deep thought, trying to pick the right words for her response. She leaned back and crossed her legs and looked back at Kent, she gave him a sad look, something that she rarely, if ever, did with anyone.

"My life is what it is." She told him as she realized how weak and lonely she sounded to him. Kent looked at her and nodded his head as a way to tell her to go on. "I never wanted to use you for more then that one assignment I had. That I didn't need you anymore. But you kept coming at me, coming at me, offering to help me, laughing and ignoring my threats. Even showing the gall to ask me out."

She chuckled for a second and saw Kent form a little smile at her words. Feeling slightly better, she continued. "You even gave me your contact information, your address, even told me some of your life plans. The fact that you would trust me that much…" She stopped herself and bit her red lips. A voice in the back of her mind told her to. She had to end this now and stop before she went too far.

Kent regarded her for a moment and quickly realized how she was, once again, opening up to him. He was tempted to encourage her to continue, but understood this wasn't the best place, it was his mistake to address this in a public setting, even though it was still early for dinner and they were the only pairing beside another pair that was only twenty feet away from them.

He quietly exhaled and decided it was best to finish this conversation later. "Christie, we can talk later…" He said to her with as much kindness as possible, however, he couldn't help it, it was his nature and who he was. "If you want."

Christie looked up and gave a small smile. "That would be for the best."

Kent smiled back and nodded his head in agreement, he then sat up and motioned for a waitress and asked for two menus. He was hungry and he knew that she was as well.

* * *

**Three hours later….**

They sat in her hotel room.

They ate their dinner and shared small talk, it wasn't much, and in many ways it was for the best. After returning to her room, Kent had opted to stay and help her coordinate where she would need to stay and what she would have to prepare herself for when making her attempt to infiltrate Jessica's turf.

Christie was sitting in the middle of her bed cross-legged, her shoes and socks were off and she was typing on her laptop. Kent sat in a chair across from her with his iPad resting on the left side of the bed, the window was behind Christie and the sun was starting to set.

The silence between them was surprisingly pleasant, if not relaxing. He knew Christie needed a chance to relax before her long flight and her mission to finish off Jessica. They sometimes would look up and stare at each other before having another brief discussion and the looking back down at their work.

Another hour passed before Christie yawned quietly and stretched.

"Tired?" Kent asked, stifling his own yawn. She looked at him and nodded her head.

"Yes," She replied, "I didn't get much sleep these last few days." She saved her work and shut off her laptop and closed it, slipping off the bed, she slipped it back into her messenger bag and zipped it up. Placing her bag on a chair, she turned and faced him.

Another silence between them followed, it actually felt awkward this time and she knew at some point she had to say something about earlier.

Kent stared back at her and patiently waited for her to open her mouth. A few more minutes passed and Christie looked down before finally speaking again.

"About earlier." She began, as she slowly approached the bed and walked around to sit next to him. He turned off his iPad and placed it on the nightstand and watched, as she got comfortable.

"And?" He asked with curiosity.

Christie sucked in some air greedily and clasped her hands together. For the first time in her life, she felt small; she looked into his eyes as she poured as much as she could out. "I wanted you to know, that you were the first and only person in my life that truly accepted me for who I am. The only person, who trusted me with anything, let alone your personal life. I never understood what it was that made you want to have any sort of relationship with me."

Kent looked at her and tried his best to hide his emotions, but his eyes told otherwise. She knew that he was happy that she was expressing how she felt, but also understood that there was this sense of finality between them that was growing tonight.

"I have feelings for you. I'm not sure if it's lust or love." Christie continued. "I just don't think I can act upon them. Being who I am…" She shut her eyes and sighed loudly. They stared at each other for several minutes, unsure of how to continue.

Kent lowered his head and looked at his feet for a moment. She told him how she felt about him. What he feared was happening, that they couldn't be together. Yet, judging by her words, it was obvious that she still had hope for them. Shutting his eyes he ran over the reasons for why he fell for her, what it was that made him want to be with her; was it lust? Desire to be with a woman of her caliber? Did he fall in love with her? He didn't know how to answer any of these questions. He knew that telling her the truth would be the best option at this point.

Lifting his head up, he looked into those beautiful, yet deadly eyes of hers. He decided to let everything out as best as possible. "I wanted to be with you. I don't know what it is that made me pursue you. The idea of us being together kept creeping into my head over and over again. You're one of the most gorgeous women I've ever met. I dreamt of sharing a bed with you, making love with you, kissing you, holding you. Sadly, I know that I can't have you like that. And I understood that long ago."

The words came out softer than he thought they would. He sat and waited for her to let it sink in and respond.

Christie stared at him as after he confessed to how he felt about her. She felt a warm feeling build up into her chest. Something she had never felt in her life. Her mind was telling her to ignore it and suppress the feelings she was having for him. She realized that they were going to break each other's hearts tonight. That whatever they shared was going to end.

She hated that it would end this way.

"Christie?" Kent asked her in the same soft tone of voice.

She looked at him and brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

She wanted to grab his hand and hold it, but it wasn't her. It could never be her.

"For ending our relationship this way." The Brit replied with sadness in her voice. "I wanted more too…"

Kent looked at her and felt some tears trying to come out. He stifled them and simply nodded his head. "I understand… I always did." Picking up his iPad, he stood up and moved chair back to the desk that was against the far wall. Christie watched him get up and leave, nothing else was being said between them and she hated that right now.

"Kent…" Christie said in the same soft tone he had been using in these precious moments they shared.

He didn't look at her as he stood close to the door. "I'll pick you up in the morning. Take you to SFO Airport." His voice was almost robotic, but she could hear the pain in his voice.

She hated that even more.

"Kent." Christie said his name again with sadness.

"Goodnight." He told her as he started to walk out.

Before he could grip the doorknob, he felt a firm hand grip his right wrist. He turned and saw Christie looking at him. He saw and sad expression and the look of her eyes showed a woman with a broken heart.

"Kent, please…" She looked away and bit her bottom lip. She wanted a happy moment for them, and she knew this was probably the only way.

"Christie?" Kent asked with some confusion in his tone.

Christie looked up at him and grabbed his iPad and tossed it to the bed. They stood looking at one another. Her 5'11" frame matched his 6-foot one. She reached up with one arm and placed it on his left shoulder. She noticed the look on his eyes and she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. It was a warm, yet gentle kiss that she let linger longer than she thought it would.

Kent felt his heart beat speed up and his cheeks warm at the soft touch of her moist lips. He held his breath for a moment and let it out as she pulled away. He noticed her eyes flutter a little, keeping their body contact close.

"That's for everything you've done for me." Christie said in a gentle and almost loving tone of voice. "Thank you."

Kent smiled softly at her and gazed into her eyes. "Your welcome."

Christie smiled back before wrapping her right arm around his neck and pulling him close. She felt Kent's right arm wrap around her waist and his other arm around her back, skin on skin felt so good for her and she knew it did for him.

They pressed their bodies against one another and shared an embrace. Christie rested her head on his shoulder and smiled and sighed with content.

"I'll always care about you and be there for you whenever you need me again someday." Kent whispered into her ear.

Christie's smiled grew wider and she nodded her head against his shoulder and held him tighter, squeezing her breasts against him. One arm was around his neck and the other wrapped underneath his armpit and stroking his shoulder blades with her fingers.

"I'll always think of you," She replied. "When I want to be happy."

They pulled away slightly and they looked at each other and shared a smile. They pressed their foreheads against together and enjoyed the intimacy they were sharing.

And for Christie, she could at least enjoy something romantic, before heading back into the only world she knew of. A world filled with betrayals, dirty money, suffering and death.

* * *

**Next:** Sydney.


End file.
